Depending on the story or the coverage, people seem to have a love/hate relationship with reporters.
For instance, in my two months of work, I have received two emails from different people, thanking me for doing a "wonderful" job on my story. People who emailed me to say my story was well-balanced, included all the details, and that I am a "great" reporter. I am not telling you this to brag, but to explain the "love" part of this love/hate relationship.
And then there's the hate:
Now luckily, nothing this serious has ever happened to me. And I sincerely hope it never does. However, as many times as I've received positive emails about my reporting, I've also had people come up to me, yelling that I should "find something better to cover" with my time. People have questioned where I've gotten my facts and sources. I've been given dirty looks, watched, and stared at.
It's not a good feeling when things like this happen, so when they do I remind myself of the good emails. I think about what I'm doing and how my role as a journalist gives me the right to cover important stories and sent out crucial information to the public. No matter how unnecessary some people think it is for me to cover a particular story, as long as it better informs the public, I know I'm doing the right thing. And their dirty looks or middle fingers won't stop me from doing my job, and doing my job well.
Wow, that's an extreme case of hostility.
ReplyDeleteDon't mind the nastygrams: if you're right, they're meaningless. If you're wrong, well, just remember that seppuku is not honorable anymore.
Your last graf got me thinking:
I think our roles as journalists give us the obligation to cover the important stories without screwing up, because it's our job, and because there are many talented people who could do better on our worst day, and those are the people who notice when it is our worst day. But also because we take our jobs seriously, it becomes a duty, a calling.
As for how we get the right to cover those stories, I don't think it's because we're journalists. It's because we're Americans. Every American has the right to cover the important stories. Most would rather do something more productive or lucrative, or just watch TV all day.