By Joelle Milholm
It’s quite possible that every generation has thought that they lived in the most interesting time, which made it the most important time to be a journalist. When the United States was becoming a country and fighting for independence against the British, the colonists used the press to spread information and build support for independence. Civil Rights movements from abolitionists fighting to end slavery, to women battling for the right to vote, to Native Americans fighting for self-determination, and many more, communities have used traditional newspapers and other media outlets and created their own to lift up their voices and spread information.
For years, newspapers, radio, and broadcast TV, and all the journalists who worked for them were some of the most trusted voices in the country. Not only that, but investigative journalists and whistleblowers were exposing problems and “speaking truth to power” to hold the government, corporations, and those in power accountable. In the last 50 years, the news media has faced a revolution of its own with CNN paving the way for cable news and the 24/7 news cycle, the internet democratizing information and limiting traditional gatekeepers, social media gobbling up advertising dollars to force layoffs and small newspaper closures of epic proportions, and the current onslaught of information and disinformation making the world a harder place to understand.
With reports showing a growing distrust in media, like a 2021 Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford that shows Americans’ trust in the media at 29% — lowest out of 46 countries surveyed — the media and news landscaped has changed. Some people believe “alternative facts,” despite the ridiculousness of the phrase. Facts are facts. The truth still matters. And it’s the job of journalists to find those facts and report the truth – whether they are doing it for a school newspaper, on social media, or for a podcast. People still need to read and hear about the truth. Whether it’s about what’s going on at a local school board meeting, or how a federal program is impacting homelessness, or an amazing new business that opened, or a great feature on a new artist who is making waves in the art world, these stories matter. They help people have a greater understanding of the world around them and of what’s going on in their community. These stories help individuals feel like a part of their community. Finding, researching, fact-checking, and telling these stories is vital, not only for a healthy democracy, but for our humanity.
The job of a journalist is amazing. They get to take their curiosity into the world, find answers, and then explain that information to others. It requires curiosity, determination, a willingness to show up and find out what is going on, creativity in finding the best way to tell that story, and a commitment to get it right. Journalists make mistakes, just like everyone else. It’s a hard job, but it’s also rewarding. The job of a journalist is much like that of Spiderman: With great power, comes great responsibility.
This book is here to help you learn more about journalism, more about how to find and gather information, how to conduct interviews, how to arrange that information to present to others, how to follow the laws of privacy and be an ethical journalist with integrity. There are all sorts of guides to help you navigate challenging situations and learn different techniques that will transform to the real world. It won’t have everything. Reading local and national newspapers, listening to podcasts, and watching local and national news can also help you better understand the journalism world. A lot of times, it just takes getting out there and trying it. This book aims to give you the confidence to do that.
One of the best parts about journalism is that anyone can do it. If you want to join this world, it would love to have you. You don’t have to get a license or certification to “become a journalist.” You just need to have a desire to better understand the world around you and a longing to share that information with others. This is the greatness of a free press. In our current world, there is an assault on the truth and a growing distrust in journalists. This book will help us to understand why that trust is so important in a democracy and how following these tips can help you become a trusted source of information. Regardless of what people said in the past, this is the best time to enter the field of journalism. There is so much to do. Let’s get started.
