How many times have you read an article, either online or in
print, and found spelling or grammatical errors? How many articles are just
opinion pieces? How many articles leave you bored to tears?
Journalism is about giving the reader an honest account of
an event. All opinions should be included, not just those of the journalist. Of
course, opinion pieces and blogs are opinionated, and there is a place for them
in the media. The habits of opinion pieces should not appear in true
journalism.
Of course, this is my opinion and is somewhat hypocritical.
But, my blog, my rules!
I have recently suffered the drudgery of a journalism
degree. Throughout my degree I found it quite ironic that I was sat in a
classroom studying journalism whilst the world happened around me. How does
writing 13,000 words on the representation of men in women’s magazines prove my
skills as a journalist?? Surely, a portfolio of articles would be more useful
to an employer? Actually being on the front line, reporting, is a true
reflection of journalistic skills. Personally, throughout my course, I hardly
wrote any articles. I actually sat in a lecture where I was told to buy a diary
and plan my time better. So, being a true rebellious journalist, I wrote in my
diary to not attend that lecture again. If a person studying at university
level needs to be told to buy a diary to plan their time, there needs to be a
serious investigation in to education standards.
Whilst on the subject of education standards, I recall one
of my first lectures at university. Whilst getting feedback on a portfolio of
work, the lecturer told the whole class that there were problems with spelling,
punctuation and grammar. The basics of journalism, the ability to write
coherently and correctly, and 70% plus of the class could not do this. Not to
blow my own trumpet, but I only had one mistake in the whole portfolio (which
still grinds on me today as it was a stupid mistake). Some students who have
the inability to write will be leaving university with a degree in journalism
and they can’t even spell. How is this allowed??! Personally, one bug I have is
the incorrect use of ‘there’, ‘they’re’ and ‘their’. It’s not hard to know
which one to use, especially if you claim to be good enough to inform the
world!
Sat in a lecture being told to not judge a book by its cover
is rather patronising. But, a few weeks later, I realised why I was being
belittled. During a discussion about a fictional article we were to write about
a student who pole danced to pay her fees, some fellow students were disgusted
at the idea of interviewing the girl. One piped up saying that it was appalling
and that they would refuse to interview her. What the hell?? As a journalist,
it is your job to have no opinion and tell the story as it is, with various
opinions included, none of which are your own. This narrow-mindedness of the
future voices of Great
Britain horrified me. Would this student
refuse to interview a murderer because it goes against their moral ideals? I’m
assuming that if a journalist declined such a job, they would be thrown on to
the mean cobbles of Fleet Street with their morals in tact, if not their
reputation.
During my degree I couldn’t help but wonder if an
apprenticeship in journalism would be a better idea than a degree. Being sat in
a classroom for 3 years is nothing compared to getting the scoop. Society has
got itself in to an endless circle with degrees. Not all careers need a degree.
Of course, I would feel comforted by a doctor with a degree instead of without,
but with an art like journalism, you either have it or you don’t. Sadly, most
of those in the newspapers today, do not.
Channel 4 news reader, Jon Snow, did not get a degree and he
is one of the most famous faces of British news.
My personal hero, Hunter S. Thompson, never got a university
degree and he is one of the best known journalists in history. No one remembers
the ‘good’ journalists who did as they were told. It’s those that bucked the
trend, rebelled, that go down in history as some of the best writers.
Journalists need a sense of rebellion to succeed, how else will they get the
story? Thompson immersed himself in the situations he was reporting, giving a
unique insight and a true tale of the time. Can you really imagine some straight-A,
university graduate getting high with the Hells Angels?
There are some things you just cannot teach. I must admit,
this blog is mainly due to my annoyance over doing a journalism degree in which
I didn’t actually do any journalism. If I’d have learnt on the job, I believe I
wouldn’t have become bored and disheartened. University drains the spontaneity
and imagination of the written word.
