Journalism: A Trait Or A Learned Practice?

July 21st, 2007 at 10:41am Jessica Andrews 17

Since my freshman year of High School–when I first discovered the world of writing and journalism– I have had the opportunity to come across a wide variety of reporters and writers. Though, it never occurred to me that I might be able to categorize myself as one of them.
My junior English teacher told me I had a “knack” for writing and submitted my work into our High School’s literary magazine. Over the next year, I wrote of variety of short literary pieces, two of which were featured on the front page of the magazine.

When my senior year rolled around and I was nominated as the editor & chief of the school newspaper, my writing habits were forced to change from poetic to factual and systematic. Still, I loved to write and along with my (primarily student-run) journalism class, we published eight editions in the 2005-2006 school year- a feat that had not been accomplished in over five years at our school. Then, in my freshman year of college I was able to write for, and secure a “beat” at my school’s newspaper, the Indiana Daily Student.
Now that I am entering my sophomore year in college I look back at all the people I have met and spoken with who work in the field of journalism, and while I still have a lot to learn- there is one thing I have discovered about reporting.

Journalism in defined by the Webster dictionary as writing that reflects superficial thought and research, a popular slant, and hurried composition. It surprised me that it was not even mentioned as a possible occupation or career but more as a practice or habit. That is when it occurred to me that you do not have to have a degree from an ivy league school, you don’t have to be privileged, or even be a talented writer, or good speller to be a reporter. I then thought of all of the different kinds of people that have taught me something about journalism, and realized that the list was endless.

Sure, there are those who get paid to nose around and get to the bottom of what they, or their editors consider newsworthy information, and end up distorting or slanting the facts to appeal to their own agenda. But in the end, every story, every facet of life has a who, what, where, when, why, and how. And anyone, whether it be the housewive’s who meet at yoga every Thursday morning and relay the latest gossip, or the lunch lady who explains to a group of students the daily menu– even the concierge at a hotel—anyone can tell a story and may even– in hypothetical circumstances– manage to get all the facts and details right. So what is a reporter and whom should you trust to get your information?

The choices are there, and they are yours to make.

Entry Filed under: Pitkin County, People