Journalism is Still Alive

By Isha Mitra | VOX Staff

My new friends and I took in D.C. sights and took home memories. Photo by Lindsay Hiatt | Special to VOX

For anyone remotely interested in journalism, this is certainly not a time of hope. This might seem a little cynical on my part, but as someone who wants to work as a foreign correspondent for a newspaper one day, it is slightly disheartening to see papers like Denver’s Rocky Mountain News go out of business and many journalists from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution lose their jobs.

As early as three years ago, Time and The Economist ran stories raising concern about the future of newspapers. Time Columnist Michael Kingsley even wrote: “It seems hopeless. How can the newspaper industry survive the Internet?”

With the industry’s dire situation, I sadly pushed aside my dreams of traveling to exotic places and covering breaking news stories. How could I go into newspapers when its senior members were losing their jobs?

It took a five-day conference with fellow future journalists in Washington, D.C. to realize that journalism isn’t a dying profession. It just needs young and innovative people like us to revitalize the industry.

Journalists Like Me
I realized that I wasn’t the only passionate teen with doubts about the industry when I went to Washington as one of two Georgia representatives chosen for the Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholarship Program. Neuharth, the founder of USA Today, created the award for high school students with a serious interest in writing and newspapers. It includes a $1000 scholarship and an all-expense-paid trip to D.C. to meet famous journalists as well as hopeful journalists from across the country.

To say that the Free Spirit program radically changed all my ideas about journalism would be an understatement. From the moment I met 101 fellow news junkies to the morning I tearfully said goodbye to my new friends, I had an incredible time and learned so much about what journalism really is.

Learning About Journalism from the Best
Our journey began with a visit to the NBC “Meet the Press” studio. The outside of the building was rather plain and drab, like any normal office. But inside, everything sparkled and shined. As we walked on set and piled onto bleachers behind the camera, I recognized “Meet the Press” host David Gregory’s two guests: Dr. Christina Romer, an economic advisor for President Obama, and Republican Whip Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), two names that regularly pop up in news on the economy.

Gregory proved himself to be a no-nonsense, unbiased journalist putting his guests on the spot with a slew of hard-hitting questions. I’d learned that a journalist’s job is to ask the tough questions that no one else will ask. So it was refreshing to see a true journalist as work.

David Gregory also showed us his friendly side by taking pictures with our group and answering our questions. Of course the question on everyone’s mind was about the future of journalism. Gregory encouraged us to stop worrying and to follow our dreams. While journalism’s outlets might morph into something new, he assured us the need for journalists will never go away.

Journalism Isn’t Dead
Gregory was only one of the nationally renowned journalists we met on the trip. USA Today Baghdad Correspondent Rick Jervis told us fascinating stories about his time in Iraq and other conflict regions. USA Today Founder Al Neuharth actually shook each of our hands, and we participated in a forum with C-SPAN founder Brian Lamb. Each person we met shared the same message.

“There’s never been a better time to become a journalist,” said Ken Paulson, President and Chief Operating Officer of the Freedom Forum, a foundation that advocates free-speech rights for everyone. “You guys are the next generation of journalists.”

The Free Spirit Program taught us what it means to be a journalist and a free spirit.

“Free spirits are those who are willing to risk all to shine a ray of light on truth,” said Aleah Ariella, a student representative from Pennsylvania. “We, as journalists, do that. We shine a light. We tell a story. Here at the Free Spirit Conference, we learned how it's our day, our time to get creative, take the future of journalism in our hands. And, we are willing to accept that challenge.” 

“I live in Colorado, so I saw firsthand how the end of the Rocky Mountain News affected people,” said Lindsay Hiatt, a student rep from Colorado. “It’s really cool to see people who are willing to take a risk and try and become a journalist, despite different newspapers going out of business.”

I’m willing to take that risk because I feel that strongly about the need for journalists. Journalists must be passionate, determined and curious. We must be able to get the story and tell it correctly because the public depends on us to know what goes on around them.

Journalism isn’t a relic. It’s just evolving, and future journalists need to adapt while still keeping our journalistic integrity and quality. This trip showed me that there is still hope for young journalists like me.

Isha just graduated from Westminster and is excited about her freshman year at Columbia University.