Saw a comment say “Learn to code” again. They deleted it in the time it took me to write this, and since we see someone say that frequently here, I’ll post this anyway:

Ok, legit, I get this is reddit. I get there are a lot of software dev types who are curious about journalism who frequent the sub. But it’s kinda getting insane this gets brought up every two seconds, as if it’s the only other career out there.

Coding isn’t some Deus Ex Machina. It won’t magically fix everything or everyone. Even in software development, you have lots of roles that cover different skills, from project and program management, to UX, to visual design, to business analysis, to product marketing. You never see anyone bring those roles up.

It’s especially tone-deaf to keep throwing this at journalists who specifically aren’t generally math or science people: they write and listen and observe and create with that other side of their brain. Many of them wouldn’t succeed, or be happy in a coding role given their relationship with math and science, and a lack of time to properly redress that. It’s possible, but it takes a LOT of time and grind and passion. That’s generally not where journalist’s lie.

Sorry to rant, but it’s getting a bit insane. Unless you’re memeing, in which case, touché. ;)