“People of my generation worked 60 to 70 hours a week. This
generation expects regular hours. I say this in a neutral way.
It’s not good or bad. There are expectations about what life
should be like. Their lifestyle choices are just different.
“No matter what the next step is for the program, we’ve
seen this as a very positive thing. This was multiple groups
coming together to fix a problem, not waiting on someone
else. The Foundation had an amazing ability to conceptualize
and then help with the follow-through.”
There are several takeaways for other groups eyeing similar
programs, according to those who have been involved:
• Proceed toward your goal with persistence, but a constant
awareness of what others also are doing on the issue.
• Make sure the financial award isn’t the goal, but what the
applicant can do with it — therefore really scrutinizing
applicants for true leadership potential.
• Make sure placements are a good fit for a region. A good
skill set and great grades have nothing to do with anchoring people in a place for the long term.
“This program does help a limited number of people, but
there’s a broader scope,” says Russo, who was influenced
by several mentors. “Think of enticing people into the field.
Think of encouraging people like me to stay in it.
“I have students riding with me who have never touched a
cow. That opens up a whole new world to them. And so does
the possibility of not stressing as much over money to focus
on what’s important.”
Susan Besze Wallace is a freelance writer based in Northern Virginia, and may
be reached at susan.wallace@live.com.
THE MAY 2012 SIGNATURE STORY features the Audit Bureau of Circulations,
a nonprofit with more than 3,000 publisher, advertiser, advertising agency and
associate members. ABC’s roots are in circulation auditing, and while print
circulation is still a valued medium, readers’ habits are changing. As such,
ABC introduced a new report to meet the need for trusted, transparent data
surrounding all platforms used to distribute content—the Consolidated Media
Report. Newspapers and magazines can customize their CMRs to show buyers
digital metrics from smartphone apps, tablet editions, social media, websites
and e-newslettters alongside their print products. ABC is focused on allowing
newspapers and magazines to report a reliable snapshot of their total brand,
not just their circulation. The CMR represents a larger trend in the industry
and is the future for the organization.
