Here are the five reasons I'm majoring in journalism, and why I want to be a photojournalist after college. This is how I now react when someone tries to convince me against majoring in journalism.
1. Journalism isn't dying.
When I decided to apply to journalism schools, I was always offended when people told me that journalism was dying and that I shouldn't major in it. But now, after taking two journalism classes and writing for two publications, I am 100 percent confident in my decision. People still rely on newspapers (whether print or online), magazines, and various social media outlets to inform them of important events. I believe journalism is simply changing, not dying.
2. I don't want an 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. desk job.
If I do write for a newspaper or magazine someday, I know a lot of my time will be spent at my desk conducting research, interviewing, and writing. But I also want to be on the go, constantly busy, traveling, photographing, etc. I don't want typical hours and monotonous work. And, for me, writing a story is never uninteresting, because I love learning and writing.
3. I like challenging myself and learning new things.
I want to remain curious and discover new things while writing stories and traveling. Sometimes this is challenging for me because I'm shy and it's hard to approach someone for an interview, but I always end up learning and having fun in the end.
Also, I want to conduct research and uncover real solutions to global warming and environmental degradation, and I can only do so by putting myself out of my comfort zone and interviewing, researching, and traveling.
4. I want to travel everywhere and expose myself to different people and cultures.
I hope to explore the world and document my experiences through writing and photography.
5. I love writing.
I have always loved writing, whether it be in English, writing, or journalism classes; for my school's newspapers; or for Odyssey. Writing is truly my passion, and I can't wait for it to be my career someday.
