It seems like journalists are always portrayed in a negative light. We are seen as sleazy, untrustworthy, and our career field is dying. I can’t blame the general population too much for having these perceptions. It is hard not to when just recently a journalist faked a crime scene and there are countless amounts of other stories just like these. It seems like there’s always another story of a journalist lying to enhance their story. These people not only lose credibility for themselves but also for journalists everywhere and the entire field, because people only remember the bad about journalists and never the good. Not only that but according to most people our career field is dying and we will be irrelevant in ten years.
But how can journalism be dying? As long as there is news to tell there will always be a need for journalists, and there will always be news. When there is news, I will be there reporting the facts on the frontline, exercising my First Amendment rights and getting the truth out to the people, because they deserve to know what is happening in their country- good and bad.
So despite all those things I am proud to be a journalist. I am proud to go to my class every other day and learn about what makes journalism great. More than that, I’m optimistic about this career and what I will contribute to writing. I am grateful to get experience writing for my school newspaper and giving the people the truth they so desperately crave. I’m proud to be a journalist who gets to meet new people, learn about new cultures, and emphasize the good as well as the bad-one who writes life-changing stories and even mundane ones.
I am proud to be a journalist who doesn’t have to work a 9-5-who can tell stories and inspire people in the process. My job is going to give me the ability to be a voice for the voiceless and to be extremely influential. This is a power I will not abuse or take lightly.
So I am always going to be proud to be a journalist no matter how many people believe it’s not a good career choice and tell me to do something else. The joy I get from writing an article and seeing people read it, is more powerful than any negative stigma against journalism will ever be.
I am proud of this career and I am proud of all the great things that have come out of it. I am lucky I get to go to school every day to eventually be able to join a career field that I love and am passionate about. So I will never stop defending journalism no matter how many people say it is dying and an untrustworthy career.
