Thanks, Jessica DaSilva. It IS worth fighting for...

I take it you're still on vacation from the holiday if you haven't caught up on the latest media blog topic that's created quite a stir.
It all surrounds one intern's blog post about layoffs at The Tampa Tribune. (For background, read and research about the reorganization at the Tribune).
Jessica DaSilva's blog post received mixed reactions from Trib staffers and journalists around the country. Jessica cheered the reorganization efforts of editor-in-chief Janet Coats.
Coats is doing what most editors who want to keep their jobs are doing: innovating, reorganizing, moving ONLINE FIRST.
And Jessica wanted journalists to know:

"Through most of this meeting, I just wanted to shout, “Amen!” and “You go girl!” because Janet understands what’s up. She can see the trend in the industry: Innovate or obliterate. She stressed more than several times that if newspapers don’t change then NEWSPAPERS WILL DIE."

And I really like what Jessica says here:

"People might be angry or frightened by what Janet is saying, but she’s right, and they need to start recognizing that. She is doing this because she cares. That woman is not only carrying the burdens of an entire newsroom on her shoulders, but the burdens of a community entitled to quality news. And I know she’s taking the right steps."

I talked to Jessica via Twitter today and told her it was refreshing to know there are other fellow young journalists out there who are excited about being in the industry right now. She tweeted (twittered?) back saying that people really should start listening to us (young reporters).

We're not saying that young journalists have all the answers. We're not saying that young journalists are trying to kick older, more seasoned journalists out of the building. Some young journalists just have some really innovative ideas that would benefit the industry - if people will give them a chance.

Jessica's post - and just the thought of reorganizing a newsroom (which includes some layoffs) - prompted bloggers around the country to discuss this and caused some interesting comments from other journalists.

To Jay Rosen's insightful blog post, Jessica writes:

"Another problem I (and my peers) have encountered in internships is an eagerness to turn us away from journalism or jade us in some way. We all wonder why. I mean, if we all followed the popular mantra of "go to law school and make your mother proud," then what would be the future of journalism?"

Chris Nolan blogged about "Thugs in the Newsroom."

Jeff Jarvis posts about "Dropping Bombs in the Newsroom."

This blogger thinks Jessica was a bit naive. His thoughts on about reaching out to veteran journalists are interesting:

"I also observed a disturbing pattern in the comments: While there are some on the critical side who come off as “old school” or “don’t get it”, almost all of DaSilva’s supporters’ comments exhibit the same close-mindedness they criticize in their counterparters. Rather than reaching out to those they brand “old school” and trying to engage them in meaningful discussion to understand their viewpoints, the supporters, most of whom are in the younger generation of journalists, simply dismiss them as “curmudgeons”, “dinosaurs”, or “people who don’t get it and won’t have a job in the biz for long”. That kind of attitude is extremely counterproductive, both in terms of trying to corral newsroom support for current changes and even more so in the long run. What happens when the current crop of young journalists grows up to be the veterans in the business? Will they be clinging steadfastly to the way they grew up doing things, just as those “curmudgeons” in the business now are doing? If the comments on this post are any indication, then the answer is a troubling “yes”."

***All in all, Ryan Sholin is right: Declare your independence from the curmudgeon tribe.