on being a journalist

December 18, 2006 solitaryconfinement

last thursday, i was asked by sir harold (LB Times adviser who happens to be my thesis adviser)to give a talk in front of my fellow development journalism majors. i was asked to share my experiences in the field and my dreams as a journalism major. i was hesitant at first because i thought i might just bore the audience beacuse i don’t have any sensible things to share. so i told him that the LB Times EIC might want to give the talk.

but during the event, our EIC asked me to ‘replace’ her since she had a meeting to attend to. i had no choice but to give a short talk. to cover my nervousness, i started by breaking the ice. i told them that i chose journalism as my major because i have a ‘romantic admiration’ towards sir harold. (hehe) and then, my story just went on–unplanned, without a plot. i just shared with them the frustrations and the fulfillment i got from my being a journalism major.

i told them that the true reward of being a journalist is not to see your by line or to get money for publishing an article, but by hearing stories from different people (from the oppressor to the oppressed) and to help them be heard by making it published.

i told them that money should not be the sole motivation you have as a media practitioner. the responsibilty and opportunity to uplift the lives of the people should be our main concern–that’s development communication is all about, afterall. =)