Shaping the World with Words
When you open yourself up to someone, you put all your vulnerabilities into them. You take your fragmented thoughts, formulate them into words, and pour yourself out into a world where opinions are rarely heard. Essentially, you become raw, like a moving target, waiting for people to pinpoint you. And afterward, all you can do is hope; hope that they love you, and hope that they accept your voice.
I do this every day.
It’s my job as a student journalist, I tell it like it is. No sugarcoating, no sprinkles. Every time an article of mine comes out, a rush of adrenaline pumps through my veins. It’s that moment when I hit ‘post’ where everything starts to align, because this is what I do. I do it because I love it, and I don’t care what others say.
Except that I can’t help but wonder, when did such a stigma form around journalism, not only at my school, but in our nation?
At a STEM-based high school, being a journalist means being out of place. It means people coming up to you asking why you take journalism when it brings your GPA down, or why you invest so much time in something that impacts no one. I vividly recall the one time a peer of mine came up to me to ask why I waste so much time designing spreads and writing articles when it is something anyone could do.
The answer is simple, I do it to stand out.
The stigma against journalists is unprecedented. Even in the real world, the term ‘fake news’ has made its way around, allowing the public and even the government to castigate the media. Those who do not understand the extensive training behind journalism come to mock it and are able to point fingers if something goes wrong. However, it is not as easy as it looks. Journalists must build up trust through extensive research and interviews. Additionally, they have to follow the ethics established by the Society of Professional Journalists. One wrong move can compromise one’s credibility or even one’s career.
In a world full of science, while journalism may seem arbitrary, the skill of communicating can be applied anywhere. In the grand scheme of things, journalists impact a lot of people’s lives. For example, they deliver news promptly and allow the general public to have a perspective on the things that really impact them. They thoroughly research big stories and small stories alike, bringing to light issues around the globe and causes of social unjust. An example of this is when the Panama Papers were leaked by a German newspaper, exposing the corruption behind taxation and some government officials to the public. Similarly, when the Pentagon Papers were leaked, the public was informed about the secrets being covered up by the Nixon administration.
Overall, journalists empower and inform. And that, is unbeatable, not unbearable.
