why i became a journalist

Or would I build on the devotion to newspapers and justice I picked up from my working-class family of origin, who, it has to be said, dismissed all religious people as kooks? And then I remembered the feeling I got when I was writing: pure bliss.

But were my feelings what really mattered? Frederick Douglass in the National Portrait Gallery. [twitter-follow screen_name=’DouglasTodd’]. You must have made a promise to something that was greater than the nit and the grit and the difficulty and the everyday insanity of work. Part of HuffPost News. Journalism is a peculiar place to end up for people drawn to such concepts. I think I read the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass for the first time when I was in high school.

2 min read. Yet I found myself in newspapers in part because, while studying in California, I also happened to watch the movie, All the President’s Men, about two Washington Post reporters taking down Richard Nixon. About eight years ago, senior editors at The Vancouver Sun asked me to expand my beats to include migration. Actually, it was agonizing. Read more about cookies here. It takes a keen eye to spot the right story. I want to be one of these people. And I hope that my fellow … I had been living in my own stairwell, unsure of which direction to head, but suddenly I was reinvigorated with purpose. Because what a journalist does involves more than just writing. That is also why I’m an author since everyone has a story to tell. These days journalistic context, and diversity of opinion, seem harder to come by. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. At first I didn't know why I became a journalist. Douglas Todd: Has Twitter become demonic? I wrote stories, and then I wrote better ones. Douglas Todd: Why I became a journalist COMMENTARY: Alan Fotheringham was likely aware of the aphorism that the goal of journalism should be “to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” Maybe you can see why All The Presidents’ Men reverberated at so many levels. I had always been told I could do anything I wanted to do and be anything I wanted to be, and I really loved to draw and paint. It makes a difference to tell someone's story. My younger self would have been disappointed that I was taking Chemistry instead of English — I had always proudly claimed I was going to grow up to be a novelist (I owned many sparkly t-shirts that said so). I want to do the hard work — the deep digging, the difficult conversations, the long days — so that others can have a complete image of the world. Was that really giving back? Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. Cascadian author-poet David Whyte wrote about this kind of commitment in a book titled “The Three Marriages,” by which he meant to your partner, your self and your work. Writing about religion in Metro Vancouver Canada meant reporting on ethnic and ideological diversity, since most Sikhs, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and even many Christians in the region are people of colour.

Writing that story really mattered to me.

Can I make a career out of it? I want to give a voice to the people that feel like they have no voice at all. When I started out editors demanded reporters virtually always include “both sides” in the same story. It takes time and dedication to chase down the facts and figures. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Because what a journalist does involves more than just writing.

Could I do that? You must have made a promise to something that was greater than the nit and the grit and the difficulty of the everyday insanity of work.”. “Why would you have stayed so long in your work if it wasn’t a marriage?” Whyte asks. I want to be a journalist. Why the Opening Hook of Your Story is So Important, 5 (More) Craft Books to Read if You Want to Be a Writer, How to Gain More Confidence in Your Writing, Let’s Talk About the Characters In Your Novel, Audience, Influence, and Income: The Truth Behind Writing Success. My first memory of considering what I wanted to be when I grew up is of when I was about eight years old. Though it’s not always obvious in the present, the past has a way of revealing the small pivot points of life. I still went to my chemistry class, but my mind was buzzing — what is science writing? We encountered an issue signing you up. I’ve covered almost everything, crime, politics, labour, education, lifestyles, the arts, while also being one of those oddballs who delve into spirituality and ethics (which led to books). For more information on the reasons to become a journalist, read on. (I was rather fond of all my appendages and wasn't quite as good with a pencil and paintbrush as I had initially thought.) At the time it was supposed to be a photo of the new family dachshund, but it’s more interesting to Douglas Todd his uncle, George Fox, is in 1968 holding a copy of The Sunday Sun. In this family snapshot from June 9, 1968, "Uncle George" happens to be holding a copy of The Sunday Sun. ), tap here to see other videos from our team, raised by my mother, her mother, and her brother, my uncle George Fox. While waiting, I spotted a poster that caught my attention, particularly the part of me that yearns to be creative. “You must have committed. That is why I will focus on the sick and the poor because no one knows how they live in my country. Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. I considered going to law school (not all lawyers are money-grabbing scumbags like the stereotype says). I’m sharing why I became a journalist, so please don’t judge my hoarder tendencies. “Just like a marriage at home or a committed relationship, if you were to take any one day in your work life as the reason why you were in that work you would lock yourself up in a padded room quite often and never come out. Preach only to the converted? Now I figured I should be something that mattered, do something with my life that made a difference. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. I had already stunned my family by getting a bachelor’s degree in world religions at the University of B.C. It takes a keen eye to spot the right story. Call them forks in the road or changing tides.

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