What are your motivations in becoming a journalist?

I admit that I have not always wanted to become a journalist.  I did not grow up cutting out my favorite newspaper articles or doing fake newscasts with hairbrush microphones.  But I do know now that this is the career for me.  I want to be a journalist for many reasons.  Perhaps the biggest one is to serve the public and make society better.

Journalists can serve as watchdogs to the government and business leaders.  They can put corrupt people to justice as well as highlight the good many people do throughout the community.  As a journalist, I want to right the wrongs and make my community a better place.  

Another motivation is that I have always been fascinated by the world around me.  It is my dream to travel the world, learn about different cultures, learn new languages, and meet new people.  So perhaps it is a certain sense of adventure that motivates me in becoming a journalist.  Yes I want to inform the public accurately about events they might otherwise not know, but being there and experiencing the news first-hand excites me.

I absolutely love the story Anderson Cooper tells of his experience in Croatia as a freelance journalist.

"I'd just set up my tripod when I heard a loud crack.  I turned and saw a tile fall off a nearby column.  But the time it hit the ground, I realized that it had been struck by a bullet.  Someone had taken a shot... I captured some of it on camera, and narrated what I was seeing.  I was white as a corpse.  When I looked at the tape recently, though, I saw something I hadn't remembered.  I noticed the faint hint of a smile on my face."

The thought of being a part of it all, making connections with people, and making my community better brings the biggest smile to my face.