7.00 Reporter's Notebook

           Before taking this class, the first thing that popped up into my head when I thought about journalism was the image of a nosy reporter with a distinct voice, shoving his or her microphone in the faces of celebrities and public figures while bombarding them with intrusive questions. Sometimes I thought of professional writers for a large, famous corporation such as the New York Times, but not nearly as much as the former. I knew it was about informing the public of something in some way, but I thought a huge part of it was “getting the inside scoop” and sensationalizing everything. My mother is a fan of reading the tabloids, and based on all the shallow headlines and stories I glanced at, I viewed the press as somewhat annoying and didn't think much about the multiple sides of journalism. I assumed most journalists were opinionated in their writing and reporting, especially in things that involved the media or politics. It was because of those misconceptions that I had never considered journalism as a rewarding career.

           Since then, my impression of journalism has certainly changed. Although I learned that the purpose of a true journalist is to correctly inform the public and state facts, but what classifies as a “true journalist” varies. A journalist isn't always someone who works for a large corporation and has a plethora of experience under their belt. I learned that anyone can be a journalist as long as they have a story to tell, and write with an open, honest, and objective mind. And although writing is a common form of journalism, it isn't the only one. Journalists are photographers. Journalists are news reporters, magazine columnists, and radio broadcasters. The teen blogger on tumblr who wrote an article about body image is a journalist also. I learned that ethics are extremely important in journalism and the kind of unprofessionalism I've seen from some reporters on television is not commonplace or tolerated, and reflects negatively on their company and career as a whole. I still do not plan on becoming a journalist because I rather invent my own stories than report on others without expressing myself; however, this class has instilled in me a great respect for journalism. I believe the future holds endless possibilities for the journalist field, and journalism will continue to evolve along with the rest of the world.