Member-only story
Why Journalism Matters
Be wary of anyone who says it doesn’t.
“Journalism is printing something that someone does not want printed. Everything else is public relations.” George Orwell.
My first foray into the world of journalism was between high school and university. I was fortunate enough to work in the newsroom of a daily paper. I spent two years there and it would shape my life in a way I would have never predicted.
I would go on to be a reporter/photographer at my universities student paper and study photojournalism in college. Throughout my life I have never been too far away from it, writing and shooting for publications and news agencies. I am also an ardent supporter of the role journalists have in society.
It is for these reasons I will never forget the moment when I heard Kelly-Ann Conway, then counselor and White House spokesperson used the term “alternative facts” during a press conference on the first day Donald Trump’s presidency.
“‘Alternative facts!’ what are alternative facts and what the hell is the White House using such a phrase?” I asked myself.
To say I was in a momentary state of shock and disbelief would be an understatement. It was, however also in that moment that one thought became crystal clear.