Appreciating Journalism

It’s crazy how fast the year has flown by. It always seems so quick when you’re at the end. Looking back on the end of junior year, when selecting my courses for senior year, I remember picking journalism to get away from conventional English class full of lectures and essays. I was tired of reading books and remembering just enough about them to do well on tests, then forgetting what I learned right after the test was turned in. I was tired of being bored and writing for a grade and not out of passion. Journalism really allowed me to enjoy English class again. It was new material that held some sort of relevance in the world outside of high school. Media is not something that will just go away, it will evolve with the changes of the world. Understanding the fundamentals of journalism and how to write articles is knowledge that can truly benefit a person’s career and future.

Journalism has taught me how to write concisely. I had to learn how to get all my thoughts out into an article, rather than a three page essay. This was a bigger adjustment from taking just another English class to taking journalism. I realized that you have only a small space to catch your reader’s attention and to be able to make an impression. It also taught me how to interview credible sources correctly. I was able to gather information by word of mouth then transform it into an information piece. Journalism also taught me the etiquette that comes with reporting. My favorite unit was learning about paparazzi. It is such an interesting concept that morals and judgement are the leading foundation for a job like that and some intentions are better than others.

Journalism was a very informative class that provided me with many new skills in which I believe a traditional English class could have never taught me. It was interesting learning new styles of writing and being able to better appreciate the work behind the scenes like interviewing and researching. Not only did I learn a lot, but I also gained a lot of respect for journalists and their hard work.