Importance Of My Experiences In Journalism

Upon entering Columbia College, writing was one of my weaker areas. It was very important that I gained the necessary knowledge and confidence to become a better writer. I didn’t know how to express myself and felt as though my writing was not my interest. As a result of taking English 101, I have gained a better understanding on how to properly research and build a satisfactory paper. Every paper that was assigned seemed like a struggle to complete. Before entering this class, I did not know the meaning of a thesis or why it was important, however, I obtained this skill quickly. I noticed that every paper has an argument and the thesis helps clarify the rebuttal. Now, I have a new outlook on writing. It’s a way to express my thoughts and allow others to see things through my eyes. There is no doubt that I still have a long way to go, but I know if I continue to write, I will get better. Just as I developed more skills in class, the various papers assigned helped to better structure the writer in me. In addition, the subject areas were not only interesting, but very informative and made it much easier to write about my experiences.

Taylor Sampson interviewed Jay Welsh, current Florida Virtual School instructor in Journalism and seasoned broadcast journalist to talk to him about the career of journalism. When asked what would all aspiring journalists study and do before entering the profession he states “Number one is a great writing education. Very little is done without a script, and you are responsible for writing that script.” He also says to follow your passion “There is all types of different fields (for journalism careers). Mine was sports. For others it might be politics, fashion, wild life.” He even says every aspect of life has a journalist path. “The last thing would have to be comfortable speaking. You’re going to be in front of people. It can be a bit egotistical if you like being the center of attention; because that’s what you are.”

Joining the newspaper discourse community was one of the greatest achievements in my high school career and that was only possible by gaining intellect about the community, securing my place on the team by proving myself, and by continuing to learn from my experiences.

“Journalism is an art and at times it's a science.” Goldman-Hall said. This source of information takes a lot of practice and observation, a route that online writers aren't willing to take on.

This year I have learned a lot from College Writing, this class has taught me a lot about my own writing and what makes a good essay. I have learned a lot about myself as a writer and as a person throughout the course. In this reflection of the past semester I will be going through my past papers and talk about what I liked and how I could’ve made them better. I will also be going through the activities that have shaped my writing the most. Hopefully, I will be representing how I have grown as a writer throughout the year because of this class. Before taking this class I was already relatively confident in my writing abilities and was excited to take the class. Now that the course is completed I am even more confident in my writing because of all the new techniques and helpful tips I learned.

“What inspired me to become journalist is I was always was a pretty good writer. I wanted to write in a field where work would be consistent and I could play a part in spotlighting things that needed to be discuss in society.” stated Hooley. Journalism became Hooley’s life and

"Journalism isn't just writing," Clara said to the student audience, describing the 'wide scope' of tasks in her typical day. From flicking through social media, keeping up with gossip, and compiling opinions on a recent trend, Clara has a range of articles to present to her readers.

Though newspaper I met older students, many of whom are still my mentors and some of my closest friends. Being in journalism, pushed me far out of my comfort zone. I have interviewed everyone from the janitor responsible for the first floor restrooms to the superintendent. I have given presentations to audiences of over three hundred people. I have planned field trips, meetings, and interviews. The Heritage Journalism Department has shaped me into the leader

My journalistic experience has been a learning experience that I have enjoyed. I have been in convergence media for my school for two years, and I don’t regret it at all. If it wasn’t for Ms. Roni Henderson, I would have never discovered what I want to do in life, as quickly as I did. My goals for the future, is to become a video editor for sports(ESPN) or the news. I want to gain so much knowledge that I learn how to expand what I can do to for the whole world to see. Activities I have done in high school includes: Student Government, Cat program(engineering program), Honors English (9th grade), Track, Church League Basketball two years(champions 2 years), bronze on workkeys test, convergence media award, participated in news show events,

I also write for The Brandeis Hoot in the arts and opinions sections. I think my time in the newspaper has allowed me to develop, already, research skills and understand what journalism is all about. It is to be at a place and time on behalf of other people, who cannot be there, in order to obtain accurate information and inform the public. Working for the newspaper has also allowed me to get out of my comfort zone, try new things, and work under

The history of journalism in the United States has spanned from the first colonist crossing the Atlantic Ocean to today’s mass media. Even before we were a country we had printers and journalists writing and printing stories for the people. Looking back, we can divide journalism history into different time periods and see how news reporting developed over time. Some of these time periods include the Colonial Period which spanned from when the first Pilgrims came to America in the mid 1600’s till the 1760’s. Other periods include the Revolution period which picked up from the colonial period till the early 1780’s. The period of Westward Expansion lasted from the 1800 to the 1830’s, then there was the Civil War Period which spanned from the 1840’s till the 1860’s. Finally, the Interpretative Period which lasted from 1930’s and continues to today. Looking back at these time periods we can see what was considered “news” and what was “newsworthy”, the dominate issues of the periods, and how far we have come as a society from those issues.

depth sports articles. Additionally my political science degree has taught me how to create and present a point of

“Extra! Extra! Read all about it!” Lines like these were always running through my mind when I got involved with my school’s journalism program. It was my sophomore year, and I remember walking into school with my usual, and sometimes excessive, self-confidence. This inflation, I think, was rooted in my new position in the school’s newspaper, editor in training. Hitherto, I was just a reporter and I gained a lot of experience in journalism. “How can I make this story as interesting as possible for my reader?” I would ask myself. I wrote quite a few. From short stories about espionage, to a quick tip on how to heal a sports injury. My experience grew pretty broad, and I was eager to use it all in designing the newspaper as head editor. However, amidst my enthusiasm, there was a failure I didn’t see coming.

technical writing skills that will contribute in my pursuits of college level classes. I will

In the summer of 2011 after persuading my father that journalism was my passion and not nursing, I enrolled in Price George’s Community College. For two years, I studied Public Relations and Journalism. I learned about the power of free speech and free media. I gained respect for the First Amendment; the bedrock for Watergate. Here, anyone could share their opinion no matter how unpopular. This was new and fascinating considering the restrictive nature of my free press in my home country. So the more I learned, the more intrigued I became.