Monthly Archives: September 2012

Epiphany (2 of 2)

My evolution as a journalist has been anything but smooth. From embarrassing mistakes to modest successes, I finally came to a conclusion. I loved writing about art, culture, entertainment and the environment. I wrote about what I thought I was passionate about. The truth was, I wasn’t so knowledgeable about any of those subjects that I could write long-winded musings and analyses that I read in the so-called “quality newspapers”. Nor was I content with spewing stories about scandals and outrages and famous people that appealed to the perverse side of curiosity. Everything I ever wrote just sounded like rubbish. Too academic, not smart enough; too long-winded…the list of faults could go on forever.

But I had an epiphany tonight. I am writing down as fast as I can, while my epiphany lasts. Any minute longer and I may forget my ideas and let another project die. The fact is that I don’t know how to write like Robert Fisk or Janine Di Giovanni. I don’t have all the resources they have. And I don’t really want to be their carbon copy. All I have is the ability to write creatively and the tendency to be in exciting situations. Sometimes I am prepared to document it all, be it by pen, camera or Dictaphone. Sometimes, the turbulence catches me on an off day.

If there is one thing I’ve learned in Journalism, it’s that everyone has a story to tell. As long as a living being has a past, a present and a future, there is never a boring moment in life. And because of this, journalism is necessarily subjective. To be well informed of the world around us and to make sense of it all, it goes without saying that we need an equal amount of information and opinion on both sides of the story. But as we delve deeper, it gets harder and harder to remain detached.

I’m starting this blog like many other people, writing about my personal experiences and my opinions. I don’t claim to be an expert in the things I see before me. I hope not to bore you with wordy analysis. I am just a witness to history, like so many people before me. If journalism is the first draft of history, this is the first of many drafts. I have a voice, like everyone else and I mean to have it heard. There won’t be a dull moment when I write about what I write.

The rest is up to you, dear reader. Read my work if you wish. Comment and let me know what mistakes I have made or what your thoughts are. Or just enjoy reading. And wish me luck from here on out.

Epiphany (1 of 2)

*A piece written by stream of consciousness on September 20, 2012. Reading this will help you understand how I intend to go about making this blog.

I graduated from University with a Bachelors of Arts in Journalism, thinking that it would be ideal for a creative writer. It was the chance for me to write about books and films, the environment and the arts and every other curiosity I thought I knew and understood.

As time went by and I really learned what journalism was like in practical terms, my tutors gave me their insight into my development as a journalist in training. My weakness, they said, was not like that of my peers. While many of my classmates struggled to write academic essays and managed to write reasonably well as journalists, I excelled in academic research and writing but struggled as a reporter. The good news was that I had news sense. I had a way of knowing what was newsworthy, something that could not be taught.

I chose to specialise in Radio Journalism because I felt that I didn’t have the right personality type to be a presenter or news anchor. My strength was in my voice, I believed. With the fast paced evolution of new social networking technologies and the ever-changing landscape that is modern journalism, I chose to specialise in Online Journalism. I wrote for WordPress and Blogger individually and with a group as was required by my tutors. It was there that I understood that my greater success came from combining my writing with a strong team of technically able people.