Does Seán Moreau Feel Like a Journalist? Maybe

Seán Moreau (or Sean. I prefer the idiosyncratic á). Could that possibly be the name of someone great — like the next-generation Anderson Cooper great? Maybe, who knows. I do have to keep my ego out of writing articles, of course.

I am a writer; writing, to me, is my greatest skill. I use words in the same way that an artist would use paint. Therefore, I consider myself as an artist, as I precisely carve words into such phrases to tell a wondrous, and true, story on my computer screen canvas. That was pretty philosophical, eh? (That’s why I’m a philosophy minor).

But, do I feel like a journalist? Well, since journalists technically write for publishable newspapers and magazines, I do not feel like a journalist. This “Writing and Reporting the News” course, however, makes me feel as if I am a private investigator, and it is my job to dig deep into other people’s business to write something juicy. But, wait-a-minute. Isn’t that what the writers of People magazine do? I do want to write juicy material, but not gossip. Writing juicy stories feels satisfactory — to an extent. 

Journalism is a lot more difficult than I originally expected. It allots for exuberance amounts of research to remain unbiased, fair and professional. I feel like I am very underprepared and immature to be taking a course that is so demanding, but it comes with the territory, I suppose.

I would say that the most difficult part of journalism is gathering accurate, impartial facts, as well as interviewing people. Obtaining interviews can be somewhat intimidating and cumbersome, but it is worthwhile in the end. Interviews allow great material to come forth into the media from the everyday individual.

The easiest part of journalism is obviously the writing. As an “English” major, I am very confident in my writing capabilities and my skills to craft an exceptional piece. Like I said above, I am an artist, and words are my ultimate medium to sculpt into something beautiful and worthwhile.

What surprises me the most about journalism is how challenging it is. One has to make sure to be up to date on all current information, since it can change rapidly — especially if it is a current event. Additionally, it surprised me that modern journalists are so keen on digital journalism by means of blogs, social networking, and editing photography and videography along with their writing. I guess I’ll have to remain as techie as possible.

Journalism entails diligence and vigor. If I work hard, maybe I can get a good job, and possibly win a Pulitzer Prize. That would be more than enough to make me happy with my success. And, if I don’t win anything... Well, at least I enjoy writing. :)