Different Strokes for Different Folks

Thinking of catchy and captivating beginnings is hard, at least for me, so I’m just going to write this post straight. No lace. No frills. No fancy tassels. I had an interesting conversation with a fellow reporter this week, and this post is about that.

It’s something I think I’ve always known, but hadn’t really thought about before. It hibernated in the crevices of my brain, waiting for the right stimulus. It’s really not all that foundation-shaking.

People get into journalism for different reasons.

For me, someone who’s been drawn to the writing aspect of journalism since I was old enough to spell “of” “uv” because that’s how it sounds, journalism has been an opportunity to try and prove myself as a writer. There are other reasons, too, and I think my interest in journalism, albeit roughly, breaks down this way:

• Love of writing (i.e., personal satisfaction): 50%
• Wanting to expose injustice (a tired trope, perhaps? Too bad, it’s something I aspire to): 20%
• Helping people (for instance, giving them the information they need to survive): 20%
• Accolades (i.e., awards, duh): 10%

I grew up with a pretty strong sense that the world wasn’t fair, and that pretty much ticked me off. Exposing some of grave injustice in the world is a career goal. Helping people is an offshoot of this. Jacqui Banaszynski recently gave a speech at a journalism conference, and her message was to measure the impact of stories not in terms of page views but the anecdotes from the people touched by the story (the whole speech is worth a listen).

Now for the accolades part. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want some recognition for my work. Praise from peers feels good. It’s validating. Obviously, getting a big head from the praise is bad. But, in general, a little recognition boosts my confidence, not arrogance.

The biggest thing is personal satisfaction, though (which manifests itself in the form of writing). Part of that, I believe, is selfishness. I want a career in which I’m happy. It’s my biggest motivator. Exposing injustice, helping people, winning awards. That stuff would would be the cream on the top of a career I’m happy with.

To wrap up, the four things I list above are the main reasons I got into journalism, but the reasons change depending on the person. And, I guess, to end where I began, I find that interesting.