I've survived four decades in journalism, through redundancy and quitting on principle. But I now face a new challenge I cannot surmount: AI is asking me to part with my expertise for last-century rates of pay
This article is from our community spotlight section, written by and for our journalism community.
We want to hear about your challenges, breakthroughs and experiences. Want to contribute? Get in touch and help shape the discussion around the future of journalism.
I have been lucky. Until now. I achieved my boyhood dream of earning a living from writing.
Forty-four years proving the pen pays less than the sword.
Raised on films where journalists were the heroes (All the President's Men, The Killing Fields, Reds, The China Syndrome, The Year of Living Dangerously, Capricorn One, and The Front Page), I studied international politics at university because I wanted to become a war correspondent. But my career in journalism took me down a safer path: from a reporter on local newspapers in Bognor Regis to editor of esteemed newspapers such as the Horsham Guardian, to editor of niche consumer magazines like Waterski International and Jet Skier, to editor of trade publications in fields in drastic decline – covering furniture shops, high-street retailing and independent hardware shops.
Every few years I was forced to regenerate as times, trends and technology changed. But I was adaptable, flexible, versatile – and rarely used three words when one would suffice. I stayed true to my strength – writing about people – whatever the target readership.
I was made redundant twice and quit twice on principle. The first time was when I was editor of an entertainment magazine in Dubai. The biggest star during the low-season was a jazz musician from Chicago. I put a really atmospheric photo of him – shot low with his smiling face, sweaty forehead and gleaming double bass – on the cover and flew back to the UK for a family birthday. When I returned to the UAE, I saw the managing director had replaced the black musician with an arty photo of a fish.
Peter Dean
I quit my most recent full-time job – producing a fortnightly newsletter for the global wine industry – when the title changed hands and the new commercial director drew up the features list. After producing 159 editions and nearly 800 articles in six years, I returned to the world of freelance writing.
