Making the switch from features to business

Mike Antonucci of the San Jose Mercury News writes on his blog about making the change from being a pop culture writer on the feature’s desk for the retail beat in the business department.

Antonucci wrote, “I really don’t know what all the internal dynamics were — the beat was open following some recent layoffs — and I didn’t dwell much on whether I wanted to make the switch. I just said yes more or less immediately.

“I wanted to be in the Biz section because of its high profile in Silicon Valley, and I knew it was time to do something different (for all the classic reasons regarding new challenges and a change of pace). Knowing I’d still be doing video podcasts on gaming, as well as blogging, sealed the deal for me motivationally. Â

“The retail beat is a big mix of topics, some of which have strong interest to gamers and will lead to crossover posts. For instance, I’ve already done a couple of stories on toy recalls, and most of the gamers I know are huge fans of stores’ toy aisles. On the other hand, the column I did about shoppers’ complaints about the Gap isn’t the right fit for this space.”

Read more here.