7.00 Reporter's Notebook

Before I took Journalism I, I liked the idea of becoming a journalist because it seemed like a fun way to express my feelings on current events to the world. However, I had no idea how much work was involved, and how wrong I was about the job! I thought a journalist was strictly someone who writes for a newspaper on weekly, daily, or monthly time periods. I was shocked to find out that the role I was describing was that of a columnist. My thoughts that the purpose of journalism was to inform people have remained the same throughout the course. I did not know, however, that journalists had to follow such strict ethical rules before I started this course; I thought that journalism was allowed to be opinionated and was actually encouraged to be. I knew that there was both impartial reporting and opinion writing, but I thought that a writer who does either could be considered a journalist. I now know that journalists must be impartial reporters.

Today, I still like the idea of becoming a journalist, but for different reasons. My experiences in this class have helped me realize that I actually want to consider journalism as a career. My definition of a journalist has changed from someone who can write opinionated stories to an impartial news reporter who can report on TV, radio, newspapers, the Internet, etc. I still believe that the purpose of journalism is to inform people but know that, ethically, it must be truthful and unbiased reporting and informing. Before, I thought journalists could state their opinions. My understanding of the difference between impartial reporting and opinion writing has only changed in the sense that I now know who can and who cannot use opinion writing. I think that the future holds an endless necessity for solid journalism because as the world evolves, there must be people to inform society.