As doom and gloom abound, I try to keep my spirits high

Reality is setting in.

I'm starting to come to grips with the prospect of not finding a journalism job before May. It's so difficult right now and print is taking a big hit.

Despite my persistent checking of every job board imaginable, I've only come up with a handful of prospects – most of which are unpaid internships. I have no qualms working for free and I'm lucky to have a supportive father who will let me stay at home and pay for things if that is the case. It's tough though because many of these internships don't accept students who aren't enrolled in classes.

What is a smart, driven, talented journalism graduate to do in today's economy? I honestly do not have the answer. I'm keeping my spirits high and hoping the stars align. But I'm not expecting anything to fall in my lap.

I know it all boils down to my determination. I'm willing to go just about anywhere, although it would be difficult to leave the state where I've lived for 22 years.

The AJC announced this morning that it would be cutting its full-time news staff by 30 percent – that's 230 positions – and reducing its circulation area by 2 percent. It is the paper in Georgia and one of the largest in the Southeast, and it is struggling to stay afloat in the economy's choppy waters.

And it leaves me wondering, what's next?

My thoughts on the "dying dinosaur"

It made me very sad to see today that The Rocky Mountain News will no longer be publishing. I wrote a paper for one of my classes last spring about the News and the Denver Post's JOA and how each newspaper compared to the other. Though I've never been to Denver and never was able to see the actual print version of the News, I did spend quite a bit of time on its Web site, analyzing its content and looking over its media kit.

It's a difficult time in journalism right now, especially print journalism (particularly newspapers). I'm trying to stay positive and one of my wise former-professors has drilled into my mind that newspapers are some of the most lucrative businesses in the U.S. - it's just the credit hole that they're all in that's making this economic time particularly trying.

As a journalism student looking at my career options come May, the prospects aren't looking too bright. I got a late start due to transferring in the middle of my college career and trying to do in two years what everyone else in my major does in three. I've worked hard to get the writing and editing experience I need, but that might just not be enough. It's competitive out there and even the best and brightest aren't getting jobs right now.

But I believe newspapers will survive. I think their purpose and what they give back to society is too great for them to fail. It's going to be rough, but I think in the end newspapers will come out strong. In the past few months my appetite for news has grown to an almost insatiable level and I find myself constantly checking for the newest headline.

I've begun seeking out more and more news outlets just to find out what is going on in different places. Maybe it's because I'm just becoming a "news junkie" - or maybe it's something else. Maybe others are realizing, too, that this service provided to citizens by journalists is a worthy service and one that cannot die.

It needs to survive.