I.S.O. real journalism

I graduated from college with a load of debt, a print journalism degree and visions of what I thought a career as a journalist would be like.

I’m starting to think that those visions were naïve if not completely outdated.

Classes and research on journalism of the past had me thinking that I’d be able to change the world with tough, hard-hitting stories. I thought I’d have the time to do in depth series and features on issues of concern to the world. I thought that at the end of the day, everything I did, and my newspaper did, would all be in the name of quality journalism.

Nope.

I don’t have time to do those stories I dreamed of, instead I’m bogged down with a lot of other random stories and tasks. And I feel like even if I did have the time, there wouldn’t be the space. Advertisements and obituaries sometimes seem like the priority since they bring in the money.
It’s all about the bottom line, everywhere I go.

Maybe my original visions of journalism do still exist. Maybe I’m just not at the point in my career where I can do what I want. I guess I’m still paying my dues.

I hope that’s the case and not what many have suggested – that the world of journalism that used to exist and inspire is no more.

Either way, I’m going to keep searching until I find it…