Despite popular opinion, journalism students do more than drink coffee at the local hipster hotspot.
1.) We’re some of the most involved people on campus.
As much as we resent it at times, it’s the truth. Journalism is heavily based in writing, and we need all the practice we can get. This means writing for every school publication, having an internship with a local newspaper and running our own blog—all while still balancing our coursework.
2.) We get approximately three hours of sleep a night.
For a lot of journalism majors, it feels like there just aren’t enough hours in a day. Outside of attending class, we have interviews to run, events to attend and stories to write on our daily adventures. Needless to say, all of that amounts to late-night writing after classes—just hoping to make it out of the library before the sun comes up.
3.) One mistake means a whole lot of trouble.
Whether we’re writing a news release on a local homicide or a promotional publication about an annual event, one factual error can ruin an entire investigation or hinder an event’s attendance. In essence, journalists are expected to know exactly what’s happening—no matter how hard it is to get the answers we need to write a story.
4.) Publishing our work is a risk we’re not always willing to take.
From the highest award-winning novels to the most shared Buzzfeed articles, the best pieces of writing come from personal experience. Journalists are expected to be honest in everything they do. In a lot cases, being honest means publishing content that’s uncomfortable for us—and, thus, we feel vulnerable and exposed.
5.) There really isn’t any such thing as “free time.”
Every new day brings breaking news, so there’s always a story to be written. Often times, when we think we can finally schedule some Netflix time, our editors will assign us a last-minute story. It’s never that easy, though. Writing a story means attending an event or scheduling an interview, so it becomes a day-long ordeal.
6.) We can be some of the most hated people.
As a journalist, you have to ask the “tough questions,” which can often make people uncomfortable. It might be hard, but it’s the only way to get the information we need for our next big publication.
7.) The AP Stylebook is like learning a whole new language.
Pretty much every college student thinks they understand the English language. Well, that is until they open the AP Stylebook. While this book is very much a part of journalism majors’ daily lives, most people would have a heart attack shortly after opening what’s basically Rosetta Stone for people who thought they understood English.
While life as a journalist might add to those premature gray hairs and the ever-growing bags under our eyes, we wouldn’t want it any other way. Knowing that we have the ability to share our stories, educate the public and fight for justice makes it worth all the long-sitting writing sessions and late-night editing.