Since I was a little girl, I have been glued to the screen watching the news. Journalists were people I viewed as superheroes growing up, and still do. I am a Mass Communication major with a concentration in Multi-Platform Journalism. No — Mass Communication and Communication studies are not the same thing. Mass Communication is a form of communication.
Being a journalism major isn’t as easy as people think. There’s a lot of hard work involved. We don’t learn how to sit at a desk and talk to a camera — there’s so much more.
We learn behind the scenes, how to work equipment, how to edit videos. There’s a lot of work that goes into journalism, and a lot of people don’t realize this.
We learn how to communicate with different people who have different personalities. I love interviewing students, staff and faculty. We get to meet new people everyday and learn something from them. It’s not always happy interviews and being on camera.
Sometimes, you can’t get the interview you want. Other times, you're filming and don't realize it didn't save to your SD card until after you've finished, or you get into Premiere and your package gets deleted.
Being on camera isn’t as easy as everyone thinks. We have to learn how to speak in different tones, be conversational, know the right amount of hand movements and how to handle the brightest lights in the world while communicating the news to our audience objectively. We don’t write essays — we write short, concise and straight to the point articles and scripts.
This is what we love, and we do it to inform the public.
Most of the time, you’ll see us hauling our equipment around in one hand and in the other a coffee that has a lot of espresso shots. People tend to underestimate journalism.
Journalism is the only career that is embedded in the constitution “Freedom Of The Press.” Journalism majors aren’t getting in this business for the money. This career is about seeking unheard voices to tell their stories, seeking the truth and to minimize harm.
Yes, you can make really good money, but journalists are the people who provide news as a public service to the people. Free press is part of our democracy.
Journalism majors may not have millions of tests or lots of math and science, but just like any other major, we have dedication and are passionate about our work.
As a journalist, I want to provide news as a public service and seek the truth. I want to discover all the facts and report it in the most accurate and truthful way. I hope to one day inspire the next person who's watching that screen at home.
