Reporters: The Love/Hate Relationship

In the life of a reporter, everyday is different. Each day, we cover different stories in different places and interview different people. That's the beauty of the job. It never really gets old because the day-to-day routine is never exactly the same. This is a common reason why many people in this industry choose to be in this industry. That being said, each day leads to a variety of feedback from viewers.

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.