Justin Patrick Oakes
The Montgazette Staff
This is my last of many articles as a writer for the Montgazette, and what a bittersweet moment it is. On one hand, I’m excited to move on to another school and other mediums of communication. On the other hand, it’s hard to leave the place where my career as a journalist really started. It was here that I found my voice and realized how much I enjoyed talking about pressing issues and speaking critically and frankly about our nation’s leaders. Now, that isn’t to say I haven’t gotten my fair share of critique. People have been mad at me, hated me, yelled at me, attempted to silence me, and much more. But, that’s okay. I’m a journalist. What else would I expect?
The world, specifically social media, is saturated with content about “fake news,” slandering the good names of hardworking journalists all over the world who are risking it all just to bring you the news. It’s a thankless job, one that far too many take for granted, and one that is constantly under scrutiny.
So, why do it? Why put myself in a position where I’ll be under constant scrutiny?
Well, I’m not a journalist in spite of all of that; I’m doing it because of all of that. I’m a journalist because, at the end of the day, people will need to know what’s going on in the world. Whether or not they choose to believe what I’m telling them is up to them, but I still find it important that it’s heard. At the end of the day,history is only remembered by those who observed, took note, and told said history, passing it down for the generations to come. At the end of the day, people need to be aware of the dangers in the world, both foreign and domestic, and the only way to be aware is to have someone out there that’s telling them about the dangers. That someone is me.
I tend to talk politically a lot, both in my articles and in everyday life; it’s hard to not get sucked in, especially as a journalist. I pay attention, I get the facts, I report them, and, more often than not, I give my take on the issue. People have told me that they love my advocacy, that I’m their main source of news. I don’t say this to brag about myself. I say it because I feel that, as a journalist, what I’m doing is so much bigger than me.
What I do is report on issues that impact marginalized communities. What I do is report on people who have had their voices stripped away. What I do is report on the forgotten people, both at home and overseas. What I do is tell the stories that matter, at least, that’s what I try to do. I don’t do it for any paycheck (reporters aren’t making that much nowadays anyway). I don’t do it for fame (quite frankly I hate the spotlight). I do it because even in the face of certain danger, I realize that what I’m doing is bigger than myself. So, when people ask, “why be a journalist,” the simplest reply is, “why not?”
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