Lesson 1 – You have to love what you do and BE INTERESTED in the world!
I want to help improve the world we live in. I want a job where I can be creative and am able to use my brain. I want to be challenged. I want to communicate with people. I want to see the world. I want to do what I love, and love what I do.
I want to be a journalist.
The first lecture, “Telling Factual Stories” really helped to define what journalism means for me. It included a range of quotes from people whose passion I can only hope to equal throughout my journalism studies and was overall a great introduction to the course.
The very first slide stimulated images in my mind about where an exciting career in journalism could lead - it consisted of a quote by journaliust and social critic, H.L. Mencken:
“I know of no human being who has a better time than an eager and energetic young reporter”.
This lecture summarized the challenges faced by modern journalism/public communication in 4 main points:
1. Technology (The suggested death of newspapers/increasing popularity of social media/Paywalls*)
2. Public perception of Journos/PR
3. User generated content/citizen journalists
4. News as entertainment
As much as the face of modern journalism is changing I believe that people’s desire for growth, knowledge and to remain informed remains constant. Although old forms of communication may be dying, news is not.
Telling factual stories to me is the perfect definition of journalism. Lewis H. Lapham (Editor of Harper’s magazine) made the point that, “People expect too much of journalism. Not only do they expect it to be entertaining, they expect it to be true”. The audience wants to be entertained by news, but they also want to be told the truth. As a journalist I think that remaining unbiased and factual would be one of the hardest things to do, because let’s face it – everyone has an opinion. Regardless of personal opinion, journalists must write every piece not simply ‘based on a true story’ but they must write the true story. I think to be a successful journalist self-regulation and remaining honest is a must; otherwise what are we but great novelists? (or excellent PR reps…)
American publisher and editor, Henry R. Luce said, “I became a journalist to come as close as possible to the heart of the world”. I believe that through knowledge of the world and its people comes a better understanding. Journalists are the group who are at the forefront of humanities’ never ending search for knowledge and understanding.
This lecture has left me inspired and very much looking forward to what the next 4 years as a journalism student hold. To me journalism is truthful, informative, ethical, factual, engaging, and inspiring – put simply, it has the power to change the world.
* Paywall - blocks access to a website with a screen requiring payment. Web sites that use them include some owned by media outlets in which readers subscribe online to access information.
Interesting article about implimentations of the paywall in Australia:
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