Ever since I can remember, I have been involved in journalism.
Whether it was being what my mom called "the household news reporter" or working on my high school yearbook; journalism was everything I had ever known. I even have a sticker on my laptop that reads, "journalists know better." Being able to learn about people and write about their stories gave me a thrill I never thought it would. I mean, who likes writing?
However, lately I have been feeling a little discouraged. If you haven't heard already, much of journalism is being considered what the president, Donald Trump, has coined as "fake news." But, what does the term “fake news” actually refer to?
According to the Washington Post article, “It’s time to retire the tainted term ‘fake news,’ “Fake news has a real meaning — deliberately constructed lies, in the form of news articles, meant to mislead the public. For example: The one falsely claiming that Pope Francis had endorsed Donald Trump, or the one alleging without basis that Hillary Clinton would be indicted just before the election."
Since the term's rise to fame, it has been thrown around way more than necessary. People incorrectly using the term has created a confusion in deciphering between what is "fake news" and what are facts.
Yes, it is absolutely a problem that sometimes news continues to be falsified and/or fabricated, but when politicians and public figures are blatantly and unrightfully insulting and discrediting journalists, a line needs to be drawn. The term “fake news” is not a proper way to title these instances.
All of this has made me a little weary of wanting to become a journalist. I have thought over and over again about considering another path because of the reputation the journalism world has begun to acquire. I always wanted to be an honest journalist and with all of the fuss over who is credible and who is not, I find myself a little conflicted.
Why would I want to be involved in a field that is being discredited every single day by public figures and other publications? Well, that's exactly why I still want to be involved in journalism. If journalists don't fight the stigma and publish true and honest news, then nothing changes.
Journalism will continue to be discouraged and there will be nothing left for us who love to write the truth.
So, I say, to hell with "fake news." I will pursue my dream of being a journalist despite what the president and other critics say about them because I know that when writers prove themselves to be credible, things will start to look up again. So, I will keep on writing and I will not let a little phrase make me doubt myself.
However, journalists have to put in a little work too. They have to ensure that they are remaining unbiased (unless we state otherwise) because journalism is about the truth. It is about informing the people about what is happening in the world and if they are only reporting how they feel, people won't know what to believe anymore.
I am not saying opinions shouldn't be expressed in writing, that is literally what I am doing right now, but what I am saying is that when opinions are expressed they should be stated as such, so that the reader can easily decipher between opinion and fact.
I still want to be a journalist, but not the one Donald Trump or anyone else thinks I will be. I am going to be the journalist that my yearbook editor knew I was, and the journalist the mom always knew I was meant to be. One that discredits the fake news stigma as well and as quickly that that same stigma discredited credible journalists. Journalism is about the truth and I want to be the one who reports it.