Stop the press

Stop the press

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Dying for the cause

I'm just going to open a forum here... Is the job worth it??


CH
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4 comments:

  1. UnknownFebruary 17, 2010 at 9:58 PM

    Yes.

    ReplyDelete
  2. thecollectiveFebruary 18, 2010 at 6:31 PM

    How anyone believe that it's worth to die for a story?
    Is there not more to life? Do you think Veronica Guerin's young children deserved to lose their mother?
    I want journalism to be a part of my life, not what defines me as a person.
    I'm not risking my life for journalism. I have a life to live.

    AH

    ReplyDelete
  3. thecollectiveFebruary 18, 2010 at 11:38 PM

    Being a journalist should not cost me my life. When I first told my parents I was going to study Journalism, after the initial thoughts of me living in poverty, their next thought was of death. They told me under no circumstances should I die for the cause and end up like Veronica Guerin and many others.

    They are right of course. I'm sure the thrill of serious and dangerous investigative journalism will be tempting but I won't go as far as to seriously put my life in danger. I refuse to die for a job.

    DA

    ReplyDelete
  4. jason kennedyFebruary 20, 2010 at 11:28 PM

    Ever since I was 16, I wanted to be a journalist. I had my first story at the age of 15 in the shape of a letter to the editor of the ‘Irish Independent’. I wrote about how teenagers have such a bad name and how, must of the time, it is unjustified. I received a few letters from people afterwards, either agreeing with me or claiming I was an idiot. I guess I just developed a taste for it since then,

    Since I was that age, I’ve written stories that have been published in national papers, stories that have landed me bits on radio. One of my features for An Focal has even been discussed on international forums (http://forums.whyweprotest.net/15-media/scientology-their-protestors-pulse-september-2009-ireland-57180/ ). I did an article on my recent eye surgery and a lot of strangers have asked me about it, because they recognised me from my picture. I was even told that one person made an appointment just because they read my story on it.

    I’ve been told the pay is average by enough journalists to know that I will be no exception, but I have already gotten such a sense of satisfaction from the job. I have written dozens of news stories for print and have yet to receive a single cent for my work. Even lately, when I’ve been pretty sick, writing news stories and features about topics that affect me or other people have perked me right up.

    So I’d have to agree with Tom and say, yes. I think it is well worth it.

    JK

    ReplyDelete

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