Find a story. Pitch the idea. Research. Write questions. Interview. Take photos. Write the story. Double check every detail. Proofread. Edit. Have an editor look over it. Make the edits. Publish.
Journalism is producing and relaying information to the public, gathering research, events and facts. It’s about shedding light on issues that aren’t talked about, showcasing local members of the community while reporting on homicide cases, breaking news or even corrupt politicians. A free press upholds democracy, it is the lynch pin of a free society.
The power of the press has an everlasting impact on its citizens and community. Journalism allows the people to see and read what is going on around them. It holds politicians, businesses and corporations accountable. More so, journalism is the catalyst for change.
Without journalism there would be a struggle to know what is going on around your neighborhood, city, state and country. How would one know that a robbery happened? Or a shooting in broad daylight? What about new laws taking effect in the state? Journalists make it accessible for citizens to seek information and to be informed.
Dorothea Lange, a photojournalist, is most famous for her photograph of a migrant mother. It depicts harsh living conditions in the Great Depression era. It is now a symbol of resilience, used to accurately showcase what was going on in the 1900s. The impact of that one photo lives far beyond the decade it represents.
A modern example is when journalist Timo Kollbrunner did an investigative report for the Public Eye, where he wrote about the fast-fashion company Shein and how they treat workers. He saw Chinese workers spend 12 hours a day sewing clothing, seamstresses working 75+ hour weeks with one day off each month. Based on interviews, Kollbrunner realized the workers did not have contracts, paid social security or set safety standards. This one article brought awareness of the fast-fashion industry across social media.
In more recent times, journalism has a negative stigma due to mistrust and bias in news outlets. It’s crucial to follow reliable outlets, ones where the government isn’t pushing their own agenda. For example The Washington Post, owned by Jeff Bezos, faced censorship in the 2024 election, where Bezos blocked the endorsement of Kamala Harris by the WAPO editorial board.
Censorship is the blockade of articles being published. Prior review is when one looks over an article to approve it, and prior restraint is when the article is pulled after review. When an article is censored, the readers and audience aren’t able to see the full truth.
Journalism is beyond essential because when politicians release information often it can be biased and inaccurate, misleading their supporters. For example, in former president Richard Nixon’s presidency, the government tried to hide the extent of U.S. casualties during the Vietnam war, but the Pentagon’s papers revealed the truth. In the Supreme Court case New York Times v. United States, the courts ruled in favor of The Times, that they have the authority to print without prior review.
Journalism is essential even at the high school level. As a student journalist, I know that the newspaper represents the school. The stories we write have to reflect the students and stories they will want to read. It’s beyond important for high school students to know what’s going on around their community, what educational bills are being passed, or what is being discussed at board meetings; because it directly affects them.