(no subject)

[icarus]

I skipped my Journalism class today.

I want to drop this class. But I don't want to. AUGH!

I find I really hate journalism with a passion. This is a complete surprise to me. I did work on two newspaper articles and a book -- as a source. (What can I say, I've had the proverbial 'interesting' life.) I enjoyed that.

I wanted to the opportunity to be published. My name. In print. With someing I wrote underneath it. I know this builds credibility as a writer anywhere.

But I... just hated the process of squeezing water from a stone building contacts and gathering information. I felt like a fucking cardboard cutout acting friendly. I am not an extrovert, unless you got me started on a subject I enjoy. I like to teach, I don't like to sell or convince.

HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT.

So. Do I drop this class and add, oh, ENG 101 online (the only class that's left)?
Where do I get the writing cred then?

*Icarus is torn.*

Comments

[shezan.livejournal.com]

Good grief, WTF do they teach in those j-schools? And how can they make it boring? (Is there anywhere online I can read something that reads like your syllabus/manuals?) I've been a journalist 20 years and it's been fun throughout. (Okay, it's been difficult, unrewarding at times, and a hassle at others, but you know what I mean. I couldn't do anything else.)

What do they say about making contacts? Unless you're planning to cover the same beat for years (say, the riveting doings of the Kalamazoo fire department) you make them fast when you start investigating, and half the time breaks happen by sheer blind luck. (Okay, you've got to be there to be lucky, so some amount of dogged persistence helps.) But planning all this in advance... nope. Dun't happen that way.

[melpemone.livejournal.com]

I'm not going to advise you (as a person who got the grades and then decided not to go to any further education at all), but I'll say I can understand what you mean about the frustrations of journalism. I'm very, very glad I didn't go to university to study it after high school like I'd planned for years, because I know I'd despise it. There's a whole rant I have about Other Journalists And Their Complete Lack of Ethical Integrity that I won't go into here, but suffice to say my own ethics would have me hating myself within a year had I pursued it. And yet, it's still a fascinating subject, and damn it, I want a byline too. I dunno. Up to you. Oooh, I'm so helpful .

:)

[al-riddle.livejournal.com]

*sadly cannot offer help*

*pets instead*