Reasons why I’m not a journalist

Whenever I tell people that I like to write, they wonder why I’m don’t become a journalist. I’ve recently reconsidered the career and decided that I made the right choice in college stopping at Journalism 1. So here, in no particular order, are the reasons why I’m not a journalist.

1. I don’t like talking to people. That’s right, I’m shy. So striking up the nerve to interview people is not my strong suit. While I’ve certainly improved over the years I’m not interested in a job that offers me the daily possibility of going into a panic attack.*

2. I hate the news. True story. There I am in Rome, at a Catholic journalism conference and staying with a friend. She tells me the only English channel on TV is BBC news and the first thought that pops into my head is, “Ugh. I hate the news.”

3. The news is boring. The most important news surrounds issues like politics and economics, things I hate to think and talk about. Why would I want to write about them?

4. I’m too polite. I’m not the kind of girls who’s going to shove a camera in someone’s face, stake out a source or take sneaky pictures in the name of the people’s right to know.

Do you understand that the world does not revolve around you and your do whatever it takes, ruin as many people's lives, so long as you can make a name for yourself as an investigatory journalist, no matter how many friends you lose or people you leave dead and bloodied along the way, just so long so you can make a name for yourself as an investigatory journalist, no matter how many friends you lose or people you leave dead and bloodied and dying along the way?

5. I’m unambitious. I’d like to think that the best reporters are like Lois Lane, with an inner drive to find compelling stories and change people’s view on issues, and expose the truth. If I were a reporter the only thing I’d be compelled to expose the truth about is that the McDonald’s pancakes are microwaved.

6. I don’t even call my friends. Seriously, I’m terrible. I’ll probably only call you if I want something, but to be fair, if you called me needing a kidney or help moving I would 100% be there for you. The point is, if I don’t even talk to people I like why would I want to spend time networking and building relationships with sources?

7. Writing fictional narratives is completely different than journalism. Granted, much about writing is the same, and I’m not saying that people can’t do both kinds of writing. Many do, very successfully. But there are several people I know who really need to understand that we’re dealing with two different animals here. When I say I’m writing a novel you shouldn’t automatically think I would love journalism.

*Note to future employers: I’m exaggerating. I don’t really go into panic attacks and I have no problems answering phones, ordering things from Staples, asking people for things, etc. Ask me about the time I was Betsy.