Diary of An Aspiring Journalist
- justcallmedee
- Sep 21, 2015
- 3 min read
Journalism. A word associated with many things: celebs; interviews; 'The Devil Wears Prada'?
But what does journalism mean to me, an almost 19 year old undergrad with a serious social media addiction?
For me, the appeal of journalism comes not so much from other journalists but from other people. I find people so interesting. It’s the thought of being able to meet and talk to different people and help share parts of their stories with the world that drives me to pursue a career in journalism.
I first took an interest in journalism after watching interviews with my favourite bands. I loved the idea of being able to sit down and ask questions, find out more about their lives, and share that information with their fans and the wider public. But not just them, I wanted to interview lots of people, ask probing questions, get an insight into their world.
There are many interviews that are repetitive and dull. I’ve seen so many interviewers who don’t research their interviewees prior to their meeting and ask questions to which the answers are already widely known. There is nothing more important than asking original questions, tailoring them to the conversation to avoid appearing as though the questions are being read off cards, taken straight from the internet. The amount of times I've watched One Direction being asked generic questions such as "Do you have any pets?" is absurd! I can't explain how frustrating it is to watch. I plan to change the way interviews are conducted because I believe if you want something doing properly, you should do it yourself. I look at interviews and think “I want to do that, but better!” That’s my primary reason for wanting to become a journalist.
Having said that, there are some journalists/websites I really admire. SugarScape is my favourite online news site and somewhere I aspire to work in the near future. I love their laidback interviewing style and the funny and conversational feel of their articles.

I also love The Jonathan Ross Show. Jonathan’s interviewing technique and general stage presence create an entertaining and engaging show. The thing I find most awe-inspiring about the show is the fact that even if you don’t know who the celebrity being interviewed is, it doesn’t stop the interview from being enjoyable. This is often the case of most TV chat shows, such as Alan Carr: Chatty Man, and The Graham Norton Show.

Despite being shorter in length, I also find YouTube interviews to be equally, if not more, entertaining. These usually feature some kind of game or fun activity and are the type of interview I would love to conduct in the future as the interviewer really gets to engage with the interviewees.
The Ever-Changing Face of Journalism
Journalism is continuously changing. Gone are the days of town criers. Newspapers are seen less and less. As expected in this technological era, everything is rapidly becoming digital. Newspapers are being pushed aside to make room for a more accessible way to find information. Magazines are leaving print to become online websites and even papers such as The Guardian are posting articles on the internet. Why? The answer is simple. It is so much easier, more convenient, less time consuming to quickly pick up a smartphone and check the news on Twitter or Facebook. Why watch 30 minute long news broadcast when you can check online for trending stories? I believe this change in journalism will make people become more educated and aware of the world around them. It will help people to interact with others across the globe and be able to share things quicker and easier.
Of course this form of journalism is more popular with the younger generation, with social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to help keep them up to date with the world. However, as this article below highlights, an increasing amount older people are beginning to use these sites as well, proving the impact of digital journalism on many generations.

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