Journalism is for Kids

I've recently started a journalism degree programme and when I flick through papers, magazines etc. and look at the articles, all I can think is, "I want to write fucking none of these." I love writing. I love writing this kind of thing and creatively even if no one seems to want to read it.

But when I look at the sheer volume of stuff out there for people to read I wonder is there any point of writing an article. If I were to do journalism I would want it to make a difference but can it really do any good?

If a journalist finds out that a care home is abusing its patients and reports it, the home will be shut down. That's great but it's just not enough for me. Every day we read about scandal, heartbreak and atrocity but how can we ever take anything seriously enough when we'll be after moving onto something different five minutes later?

It's like reaching into a big bag of sweets. You take one, then another, and another and before you know it you're sick, want to go to sleep and forget all about them. There's too much for us to handle. Our brains will just naturally reject it all, it in no way means we don't care.

I understand why things need to be scrutinised and that you can't just release a few stories and forget about others but I don't want to be part of the overwhelming ball of jelly thrown into people's faces every day. I want my work to mean something and that seems to be getting harder.

Journalism is a vital profession but it's a childish one. It's the blame game. Every day they have to criticise when in fact, people might be doing a good job. But saying someone is doing well usually makes for shit articles. Yes, politicians need to be criticised and will take advantage of any leniency the press shows them but surely there is a more grown up way of doing both professions.

I often think that as a species we are in our adolescence. We blaze through our days, soaking up highs and beating the shit out of one another without out a care for tomorrow. People tell us there will be problems ahead and although we know this we don't seem to care enough to do anything about it. Journalism is a bitter, bickering profession in its current form, as is politics. We need to grow up and evolve. How this may be done, I don't know yet. But I will spend time trying to figure it out.