Scripps majors receive a lot of slack on their decision to be communication majors. People like to say that we took the easy way out or that we are the easiest majors on campus. In reality, we aren’t. The same way I could never be a pharmacy major is the same way a lot of people can’t be a journalism or communications major. Honestly, if I gave you a computer and a video camera, could you really be able to write, produce, film, and edit an entire five-minute segment in less than 24 hours? It isn’t as easy as it looks. Most couldn’t even write an article strictly using AP style. Our reality is that we love communications. We love to write, shoot, and edit. It’s not for everybody.
1. The field
Journalism will never die. There will always be news to report whether there are racial tensions occurring in the south, or Kim Kardashian is pregnant again. People always want to be kept in the loop.
2. Curiosity
I always ponder why something happened or why someone decided to do what he or she did. With journalism, you find the answer to those questions. You get to interview different types of people to find the answers you are looking for.
3. I did not want to work in an office.
I knew in high school that I could never work a typical job. I did not want to work in an office and I didn’t want the same routine every day. I wanted to work in a different environment, and with journalism I found just that. Journalism takes you all over the world. You get to work with different people and every day you’re working on a different subject. One day you might be in the office writing about a local issue and the next day you’re being sent to Washington D.C. because the president is having a press conference on the legalization of gay marriage.
4. Writing
Of course as a journalism major, I’ve always had an interest in writing. It was actually one of the deciding factors for me when I chose a major. Writing has been there for me at the worst of days. There were times when I could not express myself, but if you gave me a pen and a piece of paper I could write those feelings down with no problem. Being able to say how I feel and tell stories is something that I absolutely love about journalism. There’s no limit to what you can write.
5. The camera and filming
There is nothing more amazing than a camera. It has captured some of the most amazing moments in history like Barack Obama being elected as the first black president. I’ve always wanted to be there to capture a special moment in history and that was the number one factor when I chose to become a journalism major. Journalism is not all about writing, but also includes filming, editing, and digital production. It isn’t just what you see on TV. Journalism goes above and beyond that. You only see what we show you and behind the scenes are just as important.
