So You Want To Be A Reporter

Why would I want to be a journalist? Why would I pick a major that would disappoint my grandmother, attempt to wrest a job from an ever-shrinking workforce, and all but guarantee that my income will be too low to buy my dream house in Santa Barbara? It's because journalism is more than a profession, more than some nine-to-five grind every week. Being a journalist is a higher calling- it's a mission to the American public, to provide them with the essential, hard-hitting news they need to be participatory and informed citizens in a democracy. Given the state of America today, I feel like everyone could really use me.

40% of Americans couldn't even get off the couch this year
to vote for the freaking President of the United States.

Of course, I'll admit there's some ulterior motive here. I like being up in front of a camera and talking. And the perks of meeting interesting people, celebrities, and getting up from a desk to explore what's going on in the community are all factors. And I feel like constantly reporting on new topics will make me at least a little bit smarter. (Or at least smarter looking, but that's important too.) But at the core of it is the fact that I really want to make a difference. I don't want to spend my working hours as a blip on the radar of life. I want to be out in the world, using an intellectual machete to cut through lies and red tape, at least making some small impact on people's lives.

I want to be this kind. This kind of journalist.

They say the unexamined life is not worth living, and I want to examine life- reporting stories, exposing corruption, and being a force for justice. And you know, be on TV. Maybe that's a little bit selfish. But hey, I'm giving up my potential Santa Barbara dream house for this. That's got to be worth something here.


Even Forbes agrees with me! Check out this article to see some other reasons why journalism doesn't suck: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbercovici/2012/04/16/forget-that-survey-heres-why-journalism-is-the-best-job-ever/