It’s Your Job
December 4, 2012 4 Comments
I know I’ve concentrated on the good things about journalism, but that’s not always the case.
Besides being a tough business, you’ll come across stories and situations that will make you uneasy and, frankly, make you rethink why it is that you got into this profession in the first place. You don’t always read about that from me, but it’s the truth. It’s not always fun to be in the newsroom. Just like it’s not always fun being a waiter at a busy restaurant on a Friday night with four hours left on your shift. Journalism is just like any other job.
The paper HAS to go out each day. I think I’ve made this blog out to be a journalism love-fest at times and I wanted to make a point to say this.
I don’t like going to accidents or fires. I don’t like getting in the middle of stories. I don’t like talking to people who’ve just lost loved ones. I do it because I need to get that story. That’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what myself and plenty of other journalists do on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
It’s not all fun and games. It can get really stressful and mess with your head.
I’m not trying to discourage you or anyone reading this from becoming a reporter. I’m being honest here. Some of the things I’ve seen and written about would disturb a lot of people. That’s just the truth.
And with a changing environment that my fellow reporters and editors are working in, the stress can get to you sometimes. It’s not for everyone and you truly have to make a conscious decision on if this is the right job for you.
I’m thankful for my time here and what I’ve learned in 11 months.
I am still looking for ways to improve. It’s not about the money. And it’s not that I think I’m cool for being a reporter.
I’m doing this because I love what I do. Plain and simple.
Jonathan
Just Starting Out 
Though it’s important in any career to love what you do, I think in your case it’s essential. You are constantly being exposed to the full spectrum of life – the incredibly good and the terribly bad – and that has to be difficult to process. Yes, it’s your job, but hopefully you have developed (or are working on developing) good ways to decompress and unwind, separating work from personal so that you aren’t consumed with the issues you have to face on a daily basis. When someone is as empathetic as you are, I think you have to be especially careful. Your ability to relate to people is extremely valuable but it can also be an Achilles heel when it comes time to remove yourself from a situation. I appreciate that, especially on your blog, you let your feelings shine through so that we can occasionally get a picture of what’s happening beyond the facts.
Hey,
Thanks for commenting. It means a lot! 🙂
I really appreciate the kind words. And I agree with everything you said. It’s tough to unwind and “forget” about what happened each day. I think I’ve done a good job of not letting work affect my everyday life. It’s been tough at times, but I’ve been able to leave work at work pretty easily. On the stress, I think I’ve just gotten used to it. It’s more like an adrenaline rush than anything now. It’s addicting.
And I make it a point to be as “real” as possible on this blog. I’m not here to fake anything or be anything I’m not. My goal with this is to learn from my mistakes, get my thoughts in one spot and teach others about this thing we call journalism. So far so good.
Thanks again,
Jonathan
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