Don’t be Afraid to Tell the Truth

It’s not a matter of if you will question a story, but when.

Some stories can test you as a journalist. Maybe they don’t sit right with you. Maybe you just aren’t sure.

It’s going to happen. It’ll probably happen more than you think.

The topics may vary.

Grizzly details of a murder-suicide aren’t something people like to write about, but it’s your job.

Finding out a victim is actually a perpetrator isn’t fun.

Pitting an entire board against you because they didn’t follow FOI law is stressful, but you have to hold people accountable.

It’s all a part of the job and it does get easier.

What you need is time.

You’ll be covering things that would make most people pretty uncomfortable. Granted FOI law isn’t that risque, but it’s stressful for a reporter that knows the law is being violated. I can’t say that enough. It’s a huge burden when you know how things should be, but the law just isn’t being followed.

I don’t care how uncomfortable a story makes you, you have to tell the truth. It’s just the way it is.

Your fellow reporters depend on you to do it, as well as your editors. Not everyone in the newsroom is going to know what stories you are working on, so it’s up to you to make sure all of the stories are told. It’s up to you to make sure things, that otherwise wouldn’t, come to light.

Yes, I just put that on your shoulders, but it’ll be okay.

You have to take each day as another stepping stone to getting the truth out there. I look for the big stories now. I try to dig things up, while keeping my ear to the ground. I find myself pressing sources much more often.

I have that “hunger” to inform the public. If you don’t right now, you will.

I guarantee it.

Jonathan