Why do I want to be a Journalist?

“A pen is mightier than a sword”

I could understand the validity of the oft-quoted statement as I slowly developed a keen interest in Journalism in the early days of my college life. I started reading newspapers and watching news channels quite early, just about the time when I was in the ninth standard. And it was only then I started to think, on how it would be to take up a career in Journalism. Initially I questioned myself as to the possibility for me to think on a broader horizon, beyond a sneaking ambition to choose a career in the field. The dynamism, unfolding imagery of everyday world, excitement supplementing them---all prompted a close look into affairs guiding the world. And an interest of such intensity gnawed me into seeing journalism as an appropriate career option. A profession promising endless challenges and matching my sensibility. I was over the last two years or so preparing to give journalism a shot as my professional career if opportunity would dawn on me someday.

I passed my high school and then higher secondary. Then I decided to take up English literature at the undergraduate level and I thought this was an apt choice considering that literature offers insights into society, its inner dynamics and indeed in a large measure into workings of human mind. Close reading of African, Latin American, and Canadian literature helped me not only with a knowledge and vision of different planes of creative insights and ideas but also with a critical awareness that writers at times do look to journalistic reportage too in order to do justice to truths they seek to highlight. A case in point is Marquez’ Chronicle of a Death Foretold, a masterpiece where the author employs journalistic technique to a telling effect.

Literature has made me voice my opinions, to give my individual perspective on a particular issue, analyse things critically and to pen down things in a thoughtful manner. And I think these things are pretty much necessary in journalism as well, as for me literature and journalism are intertwined.

For a journalist it is important to know about the society he/she is living in. I am a feminist and I would like to examine our society from a feminist perspective.

Ours is a patriarchal society and women are thought to be meek and submissive. We are modern beings and living in 21^st century but the notion remains the same. Women are oppressed; they are not allowed to voice their opinions. A stereotype that has been created long back still remains the same that women are best suited for domesticity and this notion is not only relevant to our present day society but it is prevalent since Victorian era. So to challenge this ideology, I want to take up journalism. I want to show that women can do whatever they are asked for. They can play the role of a mother, a sister, a wife, a minister, a journalist as well.

At this point I want to reiterate the quotation that I used in the beginning “A pen is mightier than a sword”. In the field of journalism, a pen and a paper is required to pen down one’s point of view, to critique a system, to fight for justice and who says that women can’t be journalists? And this is one of the reasons that I want to take up this course.

Also as a literature student I can implement some literary tools in a journalistic work and I can also be innovative to look at particular issue/issues from different angles.

As I have mentioned earlier that such a literary great Marquez appropriated journalism in his own way and given a chance, I would do the same.

Also in a global village, I want to share the multiple avenues of technology, human spaces, international, cultural and topological communications to warrant concept of a global citizen. At last but not the least I want to have a feel of today’s world and that is why I want to be a journalist.