I
sat at the kitchen table, eating breakfast with my family. As we listened to
the news on the radio, the newsreader came on air and reported that the body of
a 14-year-old girl, missing for weeks had
been found. I looked at each of my children and felt blessed that they were all
here, safe. I turned off the radio; I didn't want to hear anymore. It’s an all
too familiar scenario, we hear the news but don’t want to listen.
Sometimes we can wonder if it is even worth hearing about these stories since
they cause so much distress.
As a student, this makes me ask myself the question:
JOURNALISM...Why Bother?
We
live in an age of information, of knowledge, passing instantly between
strangers, friends and colleagues. We can text and tweet and spread our
messages across the Globe! Journalism is vital to this end.
Getting information about the world to the people, gives power to the people.
The information can spread fear and dread, but it can also inspire hope and
joy. We can listen to the information we are given and then learn from it.
Why
bother? Because it makes us understand that we are not living in a safe world
that many things happen in the world that will cause us to have fear. But
without that knowledge, perhaps we would be unaware of the dangers
around us. Without knowledge of events in the world our emotions would be
unaware of the suffering of others.
Why
do we bother with Journalism? Because it makes us more informed, more aware
and ultimately more human!
