My biggest frustration as a journalist is that I am not one. I
only took an interest in journalism when I decided that enough was
enough. Complaining to my roommates, boyfriend, whomever would listen,
was not accomplishing anything. Journalism, I found, provides an outlet
with which I can engage the living, breathing and, consequently,
critical world outside my own social life. The bonus: I get paid for it
as well.
That critical world, I have found, is more volatile and
closed-minded than I had anticipated. Being a journalist, especially
when attempting to be a college student at the same time, is one of the
most difficult endeavors I have ever attempted. When I used to read the
paper, I would simply glance over the entire front section, read the
articles I found interesting, get mad, sad, happy, or, most likely, mad
again, and then that was it. Engaging the material meant talking over
coffee with friends about what we found interesting; there was no
stress,
and my opinions usually fell on sympathetic ears.
Now, and especially this week, with the ever rising Gulf War II, the
billions of dollars in tax cuts that will go to those who do not need
it, and a failing economy all coming to fruition, my New York Times is
covered from front to back with red, black, or blue ink (whatever the
color of the day happens to be). Constructing critical and
well-thought-out
columns that I feel reflect my opinion and help engage (either
positively or negatively) readers is an exhausting effort. I am still
trying to adjust to a smaller word count, for, being an English major,
I
am used to writing larger bodies of work in which I can provide
physical
evidence. It is much harder to bring in that evidence that no one knows
about, and explain it thoroughly enough so that most can understand it,
and then continue on with my point — with only 600 words.
In bringing this first week’s blog to a close, I would just like to
assure my readers of one thing: I have never and will never write
anything that I do not believe in, or have not found convincing
evidence to
support my assertions. I hope that in the articles and days to come
that, should you disagree with me, we are able to engage the ideas and
ideologies which we are discussing as just that, ideas and ideologies,
and not as personal flaws. Welcome to my blog page, and stay tuned for
more harrowing and daring escapes and adventures in journalism still to
come.