One of the most profound comments I have heard about the importance of thejournalism profession is one by Tetee Karnel, a Liberian female journalist.
She spoke at a conference organized by The Media Project in Ghana for journalists from West Africa on the theme: “Journalism, Ethics and Religion” in 2011.
“Journalism is not just a noble profession like many others, it is a necessary profession”, Karnel stated in an emphatic way that underscores why journalism should really matter, not only to the society, but to those of us who are the professionals in the field.
Former American President, Thomas Jefferson, also once emphasized the importance of the media when he said, “If I had to choose between government without newspapers, and newspapers without government, I wouldn’t hesitate to choose the latter.”
Our task of informing, educating and entertaining our audience is so crucial in many ways to the development of the society that it should not be seen as a lesser profession like some of us believe.
I once asked some reporters at the beginning of a media training session to indicate if they really wished they were not journalists? Almost a quarter of them did and even some who didn’t, reacted in a way that suggest that they were just waiting for the slightest opportunity to find a “better job ” than journalism.
I have no doubt that journalism is a tough job for which we can be better paid like other professionals, but there is something about our work which makes it necessary for it to be done not-withstanding many other discouraging factors.
Let me share with you quotes from a mock exercise by some United States editors asked to counsel their reporters on the values of the journalism profession:
Journalism needs people like you: Please consider how exciting it is to have an impact on your community; on the larger society with almost everything you do everyday. It may be a small story on your neighborhood hero or a dinner you might think unimportant, but for some portion of our readers, everything you put in the paper has an impact.
Whether that impact is positive or negative will depend largely on the quality of the people we have making decisions. We need people like you making the decisions.
No job like journalism: You are one of those smart people and while your abilities could be applied in part of any mother line of work, no other job will make as much of your gifts as one you’re doing now and in the future. No other job will offer the unlimited learning, the opportunity to meet smart people, or the chance to improve entire institutions by focusing the light of your own intellect.
Do it for the right reason: If you leave, make the decision for the right reason. Do it because you want to go, because you need a break, or breather, or change of scenery. Don’t do it because of someone else, or some dumb thing someone else did. And if you go, don’t forget what you’ve done, the people you’ve touched and encouraged. Journalism needs to keep and nourish people like you, not chase too away.
You don’t have to agree with everything the editors said to their reporters. What is indisputable is that journalism matters and it must be appreciated for what it is.
Please share with me and other readers your views about journalism
NB: I appreciate all who have been reading, sharing, liking and responding to the previous editions of this dairy.
Thanks for your feedbacks and let me get more to enrich this series.
Photo:
Lekan Otufodunrin
Email: info@mediacareerng.org /Telephone: 08023000621 /Twitter: @lotufodunrin /Skype: lekanskype
Before you quit journalism
