I still believe....

If some people whose views hold much prominence are to be believed, then I am doomed. After knowing that I can neither earn money nor adhere to the high morals of journalism I had so come to appreciate, because of some inherent professional trade off I am told, I am left to questioning my purpose of being a journalist. Afterall, if it is neither public nor self I am serving, what's the whole point in becoming a journalist? In a journalism class, after a well meaning teacher discussed how objectivity is not possible in practising this profession, I have lost the one last ground on which I had intended on being one. Truth and justice, he tells are only ideas. If they are so, then why I am wasting my time in a university? Why am I basking in the self righteousness every journalism student possesses in some degree for choosing a profession that goes beyond self interest to uphold the interst of the voiceless and disadvantaged.

The good news is I don't believe a word of it. Foolishly or not, I am firm on sticking to these ideals and believe they are possible and become a journalist afterall. Stupid, pretentious or downright emotional fool, I am not buying a word of journalism not capable of being objective. True, journalism today can hardly be called balanced or objective but that does not keep it from being one. To say, the structure and nature of jounalism is such that it can never be objective is submitting and then approving of the irregularities that goes on in the profession.

The central argument was since journalists are essentially taking sides, even if it means taking the side of the voiceless, journalism is not objective. My objection is if you are taking the side of privileged or the oppressors or those in power unduly, then you become unfair, not when you take the sides of the oppressed and disadvantaged for helping them achieve the equality they rightly deserve. Of course there are always debates on what comprises of oppression or injustice. But if you are ready to and wanting to open your eyes to it, then you will.

At this point, I remember the analogy of the beam balance being given to describe the inequality of people in the society. At one end are those in power who weigh down the powerless greatly. The job of a journalist comprises in trying to equalise the balance. If a journalist gives no consideration to this inequlity and treat both the groups with a sense of detached neutrality, then he or she is as much guilty of perpetuating that injustice as anyone else. If a journalist has to take the side of the voiceless, in trying to equalise this power balance, then he/she should. And that will still be as much objective as anything can be.

blogging finally

After what seemed like an eternity i have finally returned with a renewed interest to start my own blog. Why did it take so much for me to decide or to commit on having as simple thing as a blog, I cannot comprehend. Is it plain laziness or just lack of interest? I know it is not both these things. Neither is it my clumsiness with technology that let me put off having a blog. The seemingly easy technology that lets you create a blog in a matter of seconds obviously did not convince me to have my own.

As much as I would like to deny it, the truth is I am plain scared. Scared of opening my heart out, of letting my thoughts flow like a clear for-all-to see stream. I am scared of letting go of inhibitions, of shouting out aloud the not so beautiful or agreeable thoughts that i may be harboring in a facade of ignorance or innocence. Only if I were ignorant or innocent. Only if I were devoid of thoughts that struggle to break free of the walls they have been shut in and seek expression in words. But the truth is I am full of things to say, things to say to myself if not to others, things to say to those few who care enough to listen no matter how meaningless they are.

As I start this blog, I can't help wondering how some people rush to give in your lives, the things you are so complacent or scared to give to yourself. If somehow i keep on blogging for years to come, I am sure I will remember that person who made it happen in the first place.