The truth about being a journalism student in this day and age is that it is hard. We log into Twitter and Facebook and most of us see average citizens and politicians alike bashing us as a whole for our career choices. They throw labels at us, calling us things such as “untrustworthy,” “fake,” and “liars,” when in reality, a large majority of us just want to inform society about what is happening around the world. Those of us who are studying to be journalists do not do it for the paycheck. There are many other career options that would pay us much better than journalism probably ever will – which is why it shouldn’t be hard to believe that most of us go down this path because we are dedicated to the truth.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, journalism is defined as “writing characterized by a direct presentation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation.” This is the definition we learn and take into consideration every single time we write an article that is not an editorial. Us good journalists will go out of our way to ensure our opinions are not presented in news articles, and this is strictly because we try our hardest to remain unbiased.
Journalists are held to the Journalist’s Creed when we officially initiate into the workforce. This creed claims one of the most powerful quotes I have read in my life thus far:
“I believe that the journalism which succeeds best — and best deserves success — fears God and honors Man; is stoutly independent, unmoved by pride of opinion or greed of power, constructive, tolerant but never careless, self-controlled, patient, always respectful of its readers but always unafraid, is quickly indignant at injustice; is unswayed by the appeal of privilege or the clamor of the mob; seeks to give every man a chance and, as far as law and honest wage and recognition of human brotherhood can make it so, an equal chance; is profoundly patriotic while sincerely promoting international good will and cementing world-comradeship; is a journalism of humanity, of and for today’s world.”
Unfortunately, I cannot speak for all journalists when I saw we are dedicated to objective, true news. But what I can say is that most of us are not malicious, and we certainly are not liars. We go to school and learn what it is like to inform the masses on some of the hardest topics imaginable. We risk our lives going to war just so we can capture a true witness account about the happenings of wartime for citizens to be informed about. New York Times staff photographer, João Silva, got his legs blown off by a landmine in Afghanistan in 2010 doing this. Many of us go into the homes of parents who have lost a child, and interview them so others can be aware of what is happening. None of these things are easy. These are not things we do just so we can lie to the public about them. We do it to provide the public the best information possible, regardless of how difficult it may be.
The life of a journalist is not easy, contrary to popular belief. News reporters do not sit at home and type away on their computers and press “publish.” Journalists have a responsibility to dig deep, research, interview, read, edit, and fact check all on a daily basis. A good news story does not skim the surface; it dives deep into previously unknown territory.
I’ll be the first to say that journalists make mistakes. We are human beings, and that means we are imperfect just like everybody else. But our job entails us to to ensure that the public remains informed, and that is exactly what I intend to do with my degree. My passion for writing and informing the masses runs deep within me, and it always has. So from me, a future journalist, to you, a citizen, I promise that I will do my best to earn your trust.