10 things journalism taught me about life
Lessons I’ve learned from hundreds of hours reporting, writing and editing.
I recently graduated college with a Bachelors in Journalism.
This is a long and emotional journey to come to a close—my core journalism education started in the field when I was 15.
I wrote and edited for a nationally recognized high school newspaper and won awards I’m still proud of. Since then, I’ve written for over five publications and reported on everything from bees to budget cuts in anywhere from Eudora, Kansas to Los Angeles.
Here are 10 things my journalism experience taught me about life.
1. An interview is just a conversation.
I can interview anyone, anywhere and really that just means…I can talk to people. The word ‘interview’ is loaded with unnecessary pressure (both on the interviewer and the interviewee). Have a conversation, we are all people at the end of the day.
2. Stay curious.
This is especially applicable to people / stories / jobs that don’t look like you or familiar to you. Curiosity eliminates ego and it invites learning. More friends and less angst with this one.
3. Ask the “hard” questions.
These are usually the questions you really learn from. My mom always says ‘everyone has a voice, it’s a muscle not everyone exercises.’ Ask one hard question every day and it won’t feel so hard anymore. If not for you, do it for the voices that are suppressed.
4. Listen first.
Oh, the things we would learn if only we would listen. A good journalist can learn a lot from simply keeping their mouth shut and their ears and eyes open — everyone could.
5. Let there be silence.
I am a professional silence killer. Journalism taught me that silence is where the important stuff tumbles out, it just needs a second. Wildflowers grow in the cracks and so do the details of stories and people.
6. Know your stuff, don’t know it all.
Do research beforehand. If you know the stuff you should know, people will take you more seriously and as a result, might share more with you than they planned. Just remember, you don’t know it all.
7. Get to the point.
Be honest with yourself, and write in a way people can understand. I like to apply this to everything in life.
8. A firm handshake and good eye contact can go a long way.
There’s a thing about first impressions when you interview people. A reporter is typically either viewed as intimidating or an uninformed outsider — not without reason. A story is a big responsibility, and many interviewees see that you will never be them.
Eye contact says ‘I see you’ and a firm handshake says ‘I’m a professional.’
9. Question the authority.
We grow up in a system that trains us to not question authority, to do as we are told and to believe in it. In certain circumstances, sure! In most? No.
Look for the authority’s “why” wherever you are and if you can’t find it, ask. If you feel like a pain in the ass, you might be getting somewhere.
10. Believe in what you’re doing or quit doing it.
I feel lucky to have learned this one early. Journalism isn’t a millionaires gig and “news never sleeps” meaning, you’ll be working a lot so you better believe in it.
Frankly, everyone could use a little more of this. I think we’d have a lot more people doing what they were meant to do anyway.
While I’m not continuing a career in traditional journalism, I’ll always be a storyteller. These are lessons I will never forget.
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