I remember being 17, bright eyed and bushy tailed, telling my family that I will be attending Penn State in the fall. My grandma latched to my arm and my uncle congratulated me on a great decision. I told them that I am majoring in journalism. Those smiles quickly turned into nervous nods. The overwhelming question was “Why would you do that? You will never get a job.”
I remember stringing together random words, acting like I had my career all figured out. I remember putting on the most confident face. I remember rambling until I found myself looking at my mom for help.
I know I am not the only person to experience this. Every journalism major has gotten that stern look of disappointment. I remember being heartbroken every time someone told me that I was wasting my time or that journalism is a dying career. I was told this enough times that I started to believe it.
The more I studied journalism, the more I realized how important it really is. Journalists are the middle-men between the government and yourself. They are your eyes and ears all around the world. They are your sports reporters and your fashion guides. They are your skin routine experts and can sometimes be your therapists.
There is no doubt that journalism is changing. People are not sitting down to read the newspaper every Sunday morning and they are not leaving their homes to buy dozens of magazines. Major news networks have made online platforms and their journalists are reporting on social media instead of print.
There will always be a need for journalists because there will always be news.
It can be hard to deal with the backlash your family and friends give you when you reveal that you want to be a journalist. These are the people who are supposed to support you and stand with you, but that just isn’t always the case. Often times, I would get upset and defensive when someone questioned my career path and I would fight that journalism is not a dying career. This gets you nowhere, remind people that news will never die. We are changing the way that we deliver news. Many people see journalists as the enemy in today’s society and we do not want to contribute to that. So, always stay positive and kill people with kindness.