What exactly do I want to do with my life? This question has come up frequently for the past 5 years. I have tried to answer, but it is inevitably buried beneath current commitments and an inability to find a suitable resolution to the dilemma that it poses. I think that I have narrowed in on an industry that appeals to me, journalism.
However the spectrum of jobs contained in that field is still very broad. I can safely say that I have little interest in lifestyle magazines and none in gossip journalism. I find myself attracted to the idea of a career in foreign correspondence covering conflict zones. But why? Well I love travelling and am a little bit of a risk taker. I enjoy analysing and writing about events and find myself interested in the world’s situation and the global issues we face today. I also hunger for adventure and trials that will push me to my limits, physically and emotionally. I however have a distinct worry about this path of life.
Recently a friend wrote about a journal article in which the author described the tragic and horrible situation occurring in the Congo, in regards to the current administration, with undertones of comedy. The impassioned post largely condemned the article and its author for their lack of respect for the people undergoing the suffering that is being caused. I understand where my friend is coming from and how the article came off to be callous and offensive. I am not going to try and defend the authors point of view because I simply do not know enough about the issue, however I must say that part of me realizes that this article was probably published by somebody who did not intend to cause offense, but was simply the result of somebody that has seen things like this for far too long and is no longer able to identify with them on a personal level.
I've done some reading recently about wartime reporting and some of the actions taken by journalists that, from the outside, seem monstrous. One incident involved a BBC journalist pausing an execution because the sound gear wasn't working. The condemned man had to wait while they fixed it. In another Martin Fletcher has his cameraman film a child while it is dying of starvation because it would make a touching story. The last thing the child saw for the last four hours of her life was a giant lens.
I do not condemn these men for doing their job and obtaining shocking footage. Ultimately they desire to do more good than harm with their work; at least I hope this is the case. At the same time it is possible to see that these men suffer soul wrenching choices everyday and don't leave without scars. I do not judge them for their actions but neither do I pity them for the life they have freely chosen. My question is whether or not I want to pursue a life such as theirs. I must state that, for me, life has no ultimate meaning and although I am not a passionate atheist I have significant doubts about the presence of the so-called almighty. I do not know where my life will lead me, nor what I will become, but I hope as Shakespeare put it "This above all; to thine own self be true".
However the spectrum of jobs contained in that field is still very broad. I can safely say that I have little interest in lifestyle magazines and none in gossip journalism. I find myself attracted to the idea of a career in foreign correspondence covering conflict zones. But why? Well I love travelling and am a little bit of a risk taker. I enjoy analysing and writing about events and find myself interested in the world’s situation and the global issues we face today. I also hunger for adventure and trials that will push me to my limits, physically and emotionally. I however have a distinct worry about this path of life.
Recently a friend wrote about a journal article in which the author described the tragic and horrible situation occurring in the Congo, in regards to the current administration, with undertones of comedy. The impassioned post largely condemned the article and its author for their lack of respect for the people undergoing the suffering that is being caused. I understand where my friend is coming from and how the article came off to be callous and offensive. I am not going to try and defend the authors point of view because I simply do not know enough about the issue, however I must say that part of me realizes that this article was probably published by somebody who did not intend to cause offense, but was simply the result of somebody that has seen things like this for far too long and is no longer able to identify with them on a personal level.
I've done some reading recently about wartime reporting and some of the actions taken by journalists that, from the outside, seem monstrous. One incident involved a BBC journalist pausing an execution because the sound gear wasn't working. The condemned man had to wait while they fixed it. In another Martin Fletcher has his cameraman film a child while it is dying of starvation because it would make a touching story. The last thing the child saw for the last four hours of her life was a giant lens.
I do not condemn these men for doing their job and obtaining shocking footage. Ultimately they desire to do more good than harm with their work; at least I hope this is the case. At the same time it is possible to see that these men suffer soul wrenching choices everyday and don't leave without scars. I do not judge them for their actions but neither do I pity them for the life they have freely chosen. My question is whether or not I want to pursue a life such as theirs. I must state that, for me, life has no ultimate meaning and although I am not a passionate atheist I have significant doubts about the presence of the so-called almighty. I do not know where my life will lead me, nor what I will become, but I hope as Shakespeare put it "This above all; to thine own self be true".
4 comments:
Hey man, awesome post.
"...able to identify with them on a personal level./ I've done some reading recently... "
I would have put a break here and made a new paragraph, as that one is a bit long. Can't rely on people's attention span here on the internets.
Also, maybe you could link to my post and to the reading on wartime journalism when you're talking about them?
Ok. Will do the linking part as soon as i figure out how. Cheers for the advice.
I don't know, man. Personally, I'm pretty confident in my judgement of those sorts of people. I genuinely don't think news agencies exist to do good. They exist to sell news.
Cool that you're thinking of journalism. So I guess all of us are considering journalism now.
I agree that news agencies are a business and they aim to sell their material. Part of me hopes that the journalists operate on more than the adrenaline thrill and truly hope to do some good ultimately. A kinda the ends justify the means sorta thing.
Sweet that we're all considering journalism. We gotta make some provisional future plans when I come down for New Years. Talk to you then.
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