Being a liberal I believe in freedom of the individual and view journalism as a valuable tool and means in the process to achieve this goal. Journalism undoubtedly plays an essential role in everyones’ lives and shape the decisions we make. As part of a journalism project I teamed up with four creative and innovative student journalists to bring you a blog of interactive ideas, views, comments and criticism on the journalism field and related matters.
Also being an undergrad journalism student, this blog is part of my search to gain a greater understanding of journalism and its undercurrents. In this process I plan to offer my fellow journalist and readers a fresh outlook on familiar matters, as well as to pose useful questions, challenge your views and hopefully mediate discussions. Using an analytical writing style on matters, I will focus on the journalistic lifestyle and explore its trends and issues. I’ll try to address as broad a spectrum of journalism related issues as possible and to investigate and show you the other side of the coin of multi-sided stories. I might also end up, along with my fellow writers, posting exciting developments from our classroom and other class related or course-required material. Besides the already mentioned, I’ll make a point of it to share interesting articles I pick up on the net as part of my writing. The goal of my posts will be to help student journalist, or potential student journalist, help understand the field, offer them an overview, and even help them make informed decisions concerning the industry and their fields of interests.
I strive to produce objective articles, and love reading well written objective articles. That said I also find a place for gonzo journalism (especially in styles such a feature stories) and some of the articles might just tend to this.
I hope you enjoy learning along with me the ins and outs of the journalism world and find interesting material or gain some insight into journalism related matters. Journalism offers us a change to understand our world, show people things they might else not see and give them the power of choice. It even teaches us about ourselves. We all know that to make a well informed decision we need to consider all options available. For the next two months this blog will be my thinking-pad with which I hope to influence your perception as a reader, challenge some of your ideas, and keep you informed of some of the happenings in our ever changing world. Welcome to the journey – may it be insightful, enriching and inspiring to you too…
*AllStars* :)
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Pon and Zi
My Identity Becomes My Purpose
I am a first year studying Journalism and Media Studies (JMS) at Rhodes University in Grahamstown. I am a young and unsullied, aspiring journalist and a newbie writer from South Africa. I have wanted to be a journalist since I was a youngster. Of course, that might not be entirely true in the present sense. I wanted to sit next to Riaan Cruywagen (a dinosaur South African news anchor) behind a grand desk with name printed cups, wearing a power suit and surrounded by makeup artists who are intensely trying not to disturb my effortlessly styled tresses. It was only until my senior year of high school that my future journalism career took a more patronizing and academic focus.
I am here writing a blog, together with three fellow JMS students and friends, because “I believe in the profession of journalism” and it’s mesmerizing beauty and influential power. I believe in journalism’s mission, in spite of some of its struggles. It tells the truth about people’s lives, commemorates suffering and brings to center stage up-to-minute events. I try to make a difference in my community and in individuals’ lives and I believe that journalism is the perfect gizmo to utilize.
As an exuberant activist and upbeat writer and human being, I believe that good journalism can enrich our personal lives and be exciting and entertaining. At the same time, I believe that journalism should be regarded as being part of the great cause to advance international democracy and home in on social problems that should be brought to light. By observing the world around us, at the end of the day, we learn more about ourselves in that world. I want to show as many people as possible that journalism is a budding, interminable field that is truly valuable to our public and personal lives. I want to share what I have learnt during my first year and post what I feel is important as a potential journalist.
As a group, we want to represent student’s enthusiasm, restlessness and strong back bones while showcasing our skills and fun professionalism. We want our blog to embody a fun and creative learning tool for us and our readers.
I am an eager and ambitious learner who cannot hold my horses for others to challenge me and possibly, challenge themselves. I candidly invite others’ brilliant remarks that push boundaries and allow us to rediscover our hidden qualities and outshine our capacities. Remember that the beauty of writing is that it allows you to share what you are unable to say.
I am Ghostwriter
I am here writing a blog, together with three fellow JMS students and friends, because “I believe in the profession of journalism” and it’s mesmerizing beauty and influential power. I believe in journalism’s mission, in spite of some of its struggles. It tells the truth about people’s lives, commemorates suffering and brings to center stage up-to-minute events. I try to make a difference in my community and in individuals’ lives and I believe that journalism is the perfect gizmo to utilize.
As an exuberant activist and upbeat writer and human being, I believe that good journalism can enrich our personal lives and be exciting and entertaining. At the same time, I believe that journalism should be regarded as being part of the great cause to advance international democracy and home in on social problems that should be brought to light. By observing the world around us, at the end of the day, we learn more about ourselves in that world. I want to show as many people as possible that journalism is a budding, interminable field that is truly valuable to our public and personal lives. I want to share what I have learnt during my first year and post what I feel is important as a potential journalist.
As a group, we want to represent student’s enthusiasm, restlessness and strong back bones while showcasing our skills and fun professionalism. We want our blog to embody a fun and creative learning tool for us and our readers.
I am an eager and ambitious learner who cannot hold my horses for others to challenge me and possibly, challenge themselves. I candidly invite others’ brilliant remarks that push boundaries and allow us to rediscover our hidden qualities and outshine our capacities. Remember that the beauty of writing is that it allows you to share what you are unable to say.
I am Ghostwriter
I have a voice, how dare I not speak
Yesterday I was told that my place was to not ask questions beyond the answers given to me by the wiser. Yesterday I sat, barred on the sideline of life, giving the expected standing ovation to the shots at goal that were on target and at the same time cringe to those missed opportunities and hope for better luck next time. Even when I saw the individuals aiming at the posts go in the incorrect direction, my queue was to hold my own as my voice of intervention was not part of the social contract that bound me to my position of expectation. Today my professor directs his finger at me and tells me that the international world needs me. He tells me that not only do I need to ask questions, but also that through the questions that I ask I have the power to bring about the change that will determine the generations that follow.
In thinking about such a great responsibility thrown at me in a pass-by statement, I wrecked my brain, exhausting all my years spent in the classroom, learning how to think critically, so that I could figure out how it is possible to climb this mountain that this man points me to as though it is nothing more than a mere mole hill. It is as I am about to deem this mission impossible that the word journalism brings to me my ahaah moment. Being an epiphany-holic, I realise that offcourse journalism is the way. Not only did this re-assure me that my Saturday afternoons spent on those tutorial assignments on news values were no time wasted, but that they are a fundamental in my plans to change this world.
Journalism is becoming the fastest and most reliable way to have our voices heard. Newspapers, television, radio and internet services like blogging are providing us the platform to keep up with what has been defined the information age. My aim is to equip myself with this information so that the statements that I make, those that I expect to negotiate the lives must hold water. For far too long we have sat by and watched lives ending because we were too afraid to ask why or why not, and even when we did, the correct people were not around to hear us. Today it is no longer about our voices not being heard but rather about how much of an impact they make. Now is the time to question the unquestioned so that we can get the answers that create hope for the now very bleak tomorrow. With journalism we can change this world if we open our eyes to each others voices.
In thinking about such a great responsibility thrown at me in a pass-by statement, I wrecked my brain, exhausting all my years spent in the classroom, learning how to think critically, so that I could figure out how it is possible to climb this mountain that this man points me to as though it is nothing more than a mere mole hill. It is as I am about to deem this mission impossible that the word journalism brings to me my ahaah moment. Being an epiphany-holic, I realise that offcourse journalism is the way. Not only did this re-assure me that my Saturday afternoons spent on those tutorial assignments on news values were no time wasted, but that they are a fundamental in my plans to change this world.
Journalism is becoming the fastest and most reliable way to have our voices heard. Newspapers, television, radio and internet services like blogging are providing us the platform to keep up with what has been defined the information age. My aim is to equip myself with this information so that the statements that I make, those that I expect to negotiate the lives must hold water. For far too long we have sat by and watched lives ending because we were too afraid to ask why or why not, and even when we did, the correct people were not around to hear us. Today it is no longer about our voices not being heard but rather about how much of an impact they make. Now is the time to question the unquestioned so that we can get the answers that create hope for the now very bleak tomorrow. With journalism we can change this world if we open our eyes to each others voices.
You find Journalism boring?Really?
A blog on journalism; how boring you may think. However, I aim to prove you wrong. Journalism is a vital aspect to our entire world, yours included, because media actually controls the world! We receive media messages constantly through: radio, newspapers, billboard, television, the internet and many, many other resources. Journalism is such a broad topic that it allows one to blog on almost everything because one can write on anything and then apply journalistic skills or mediums (such as blogging and twitter) to make it accessible for readers. Therefore, without journalists, you would be uninformed and your own life would be dull and dreary! The world figuratively revolves around journalism, not me, as I like to believe, and therefore I believe we all should take an interest in Journalism.
Life in general, especially as a university student, surprises me daily because of the concentrated personal interactions that happen on daily basis and complicate my life; and this blog is an outlet for me to write on these events whilst applying my journalistic skills. Therefore this blog applies to majority of the people currently reading this! I see life in a rather cynical way which you will see in my upcoming blog posts and will hopefully learn to enjoy because they might just change your own perception of the world.
In addition, I plan to blog about various interesting and humorous things as well creating rather opinionated blogs on serious issues like politics, which do affect you, believe it or not. Drawing on my own life experience will be a major factor in my blogging. Relevance to those who I am aiming my blog at is significant to me and I aim to blog quite extensively about University life because I feel that mainly students will be reading my blog posts.
In conclusion, my main aim for this group blog is to bring Journalism to life for those who may not find it as important or as exciting as I do because worldly affairs really do affect everyone and Journalism aids us all in informing us about these affairs. I would also like to enlighten current Journalism students as to what is going on in the course because sometimes the work is rather confusing and I want to inform high-school students about Journalism as a subject for those who would like to study it. I will also use the blog as a forum for practicing the skills I have learnt through studying Journalism and lastly, to voice my own opinion, mostly because I can.
Life in general, especially as a university student, surprises me daily because of the concentrated personal interactions that happen on daily basis and complicate my life; and this blog is an outlet for me to write on these events whilst applying my journalistic skills. Therefore this blog applies to majority of the people currently reading this! I see life in a rather cynical way which you will see in my upcoming blog posts and will hopefully learn to enjoy because they might just change your own perception of the world.
In addition, I plan to blog about various interesting and humorous things as well creating rather opinionated blogs on serious issues like politics, which do affect you, believe it or not. Drawing on my own life experience will be a major factor in my blogging. Relevance to those who I am aiming my blog at is significant to me and I aim to blog quite extensively about University life because I feel that mainly students will be reading my blog posts.
In conclusion, my main aim for this group blog is to bring Journalism to life for those who may not find it as important or as exciting as I do because worldly affairs really do affect everyone and Journalism aids us all in informing us about these affairs. I would also like to enlighten current Journalism students as to what is going on in the course because sometimes the work is rather confusing and I want to inform high-school students about Journalism as a subject for those who would like to study it. I will also use the blog as a forum for practicing the skills I have learnt through studying Journalism and lastly, to voice my own opinion, mostly because I can.
What kind of a blogger am I?
The world is a constantly changing place. Nations are born and kingdoms fall. The past century was not exempt from the drama of an evolving world. The highlights were numerous: the Great Depression of the 1930’s; the development of the nuclear bomb; the spread of capitalism and democracy; the creation of the computer; the growth of the cosmetics industry the eruption of incurable viruses like HIV and Ebola and dinosaur presidents like Robert Mugabe and Fidel Castro. All these events have made people happy or sad, and given them joy and sorrow. More importantly, they provided story ideas for newspapers, and world events today still give journalists stories to report. What would we do without the drama!
As the world is evolving, journalism changes with it. Journalism has moved from the more traditional view, which is about bringing newsworthy stories to the populace, to digging up personal, gory details of celebrities and sensationalising them. This movement resulted in a debate on whether tabloids are journalism. Well, those who enjoy reading them say they are, but the more serious men and women in this world say they are not. I think its façade journalism. It pretends to be, but it is not.
As the world changes, technology transforms with it and links up with journalism. Journalism and technology are best buddies nowadays. You don’t understand? Let me explain. Newspapers, radio stations, and television stations (no matter how delinquent) have websites that are accessible to anyone who has internet connection. Media organisations post their news stories onto the Internet. In 2005, terrorists attacked London during rush-hour. Unfortunately, people were killed and injured. And the BBC was not there to film the action as it happened. Luckily for them, there were folks who filmed all of the activity from their mobile phones and then sent it to the BBC who showed it to the viewers.
Then there is blogging. Blogging is for anyone: the wannabe journo, the distorted psycho or the outspoken politician. It is an opportunity for my voice to be heard, or more specifically my words to be read! Let’s face it. I’m a student journalist. What are the chances of me getting my view out there? What is Fareed Zakaria or Baffour Ankomah going to think if they read my stories? What are you going to think? Blogging is a chance for me to be a “techno-journalist”, while I wait for my big break at Newsweek.
My view on the world is not going to be another man’s view. We learn from each other. No man is an island. No man stands alone. I hope you will argue with me on this blog.