This isn't me saying that I regret picking journalism as my major. In fact, I love what I'm studying because it gives me the opportunity to share what I'm investigating and having people hear and read what I have to say. The reason why I say that majoring in journalism sometimes sucks is because I type of news that I hear is often hard to cope with.
If you haven't been keeping up with the news, it was reported today that notorious basketball player Kobe Bryant, his 13 year-old daughter, and, as of right now, seven others have all died in a helicopter crash near Malibu, CA. Although I'm not a basketball fan, Kobe Bryant is a household name and it broke my heart for the Bryant family and the families of the other lost lives. The atmosphere around me felt dense after my parents and I heard the news on the television.
Being conditioned to investigate, I started to look at other news sources and social media to find out what exactly happened. The first report was that Bryant alone with four other people lost their lives. This was followed by the news of Bryant and his entire family having lost their lives. This is a result of rushed reporting, which is both ethical and unethical. My issue with rush reporting is that not all the facts are stated and even if they are, it is most likely inaccurate facts. Sources such as FOX, ABC, and TMZ all rush reported the helicopter crash, causing audience to be angered with the lack of ethics.
In addition, the main reason it's hard being a journalism major is because it can be hard reporting mentally and emotionally. Anyone who knows me is aware that I act and write based on my feelings. The main reason why I don't want to write about the accident is because I do not handle death well, even if it's the death of a celebrity. I would be speaking out of passion rather than facts. While I am still in college, I am learning how not to let feelings cloud my judgement when it comes to reporting, but obviously I am failing to do that *cues awkward studio audience laughter*. Journalism is a very tricky and often dangerous career field that I vowed to dedicate my life to and I hope that the content I share with the world is valued by all who choose to follow me as a journalist.
My condolences goes out the the Bryant family and all those who lost a loved one today. Please let your family and friends know that you love them.