Throughout the years we have all heard the statement, "There's a thin line between love and hate." There may be an even thinner line between journalism and activism so journalists have to be careful in order not to cross the line. I believe that some journalists go from one side of the line to the other from time to time as their own beliefs, opinions, and passions are injected into what their reporting on. For the most part I agree that many good journalists have remained objective when reporting on the economic-related protests, but at the same time I will say that cheerleading for a specific group and their viewpoints can be viewed as a form of activism. While watching reporting on the Wall Street Protesters I noticed that many reporters asked the opinions of various presidential candidates on the issue which provided an open door to media influence by way of the responses of those who were asked. The consensus from most was that a real change will have to come from Washington. I personally would like to see more facts stated on the issue rather than coverage on the drama of the whole event.
When it's all about the Benjamin's, I mean all about the ratings; the conquest to be the best doesn't always mean presenting better news unfortunately. Competition among cable news outlets can turn a great journalist into a media jockey that is slapping the news horse in whatever way it takes to make it run faster than the others. If cable news gets too far away from reporting the facts they may find the sidewalks in front of their studios looking a lot like Wall Street does these days full of protesters. I think competition among cable news outlets should be approached like ABC tackled it with their Yahoo News merger. The idea is to use technology to expand the reach rather than stretch the story. Competition in itself is healthy while hyper-competition can be damaging to the networks, to those featured on the networks, and to the viewers. No matter how things change in regards to the mediums used to deliver news, it is important for journalists to stay true to what makes journalism good, respectable, and full of integrity. Facts can be reported with passion and enthusiasm and still remain the facts. If there is going to be any competition in this arena it should be the type of competition that brings about better news with accuracy, conscious communication, and excellent articulation. Anybody who wants anything other than that can pick up The Inquirer.
Being a great journalist comes down to loving what you do. Steve Jobs said, "The only way to do great work is to love what you do." Steve was right in making this statement and his very life exemplified this. I have less money than I've ever had right now, but I'm more successful than I've ever been because I'm finally doing what I love. When my mom died I came to the realization that any day could be my last day so when disappointing things happen I ask myself if it were my last day on earth would I want to spend it feeling sad or upset. I am in love with doing what I love and it is what I will do for the rest of my life. I used to waste time doing whatever I felt it took to make it (pay my bills), and I did this all while robbing myself and others of the talents and gifts I have to contribute to mankind. My brother has a brilliant mind, but he is too busy working on his job to give any time to manifesting his dreams. Not many days ago I told him these words, "Don't sacrifice what you want to do on the altar of what you have to do."
I'm a firm believer that prosperity lies in the place of your purpose. You may not see it when you first start just like most don't get an engagement ring on their first date with someone; know and believe that it will come. If we don't have hope, there's no point in having a dream. I've made a commitment to myself to always do what I love to do. We all have genius in different areas. You will witness a fish's genius arise in the water, you will witness a bird's genius arise in the air, and you will witness your genius emerge when you start doing what you love to do. If Steve Jobs accomplished what he accomplished without a formal or traditional education, how much more can I/we do with one as long as we are all focusing on the right things? My job is to build it; everyone else's job who appreciates what I've built or what I'm building is to come. Regardless of my IQ, today I am genius, I am the valedictorian of passion, I am a writer who loves writing, and I will change the world one word at a time because I am operating in the heart of my existence.
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