Why I Left Journalism School

[SVPete]

Why I Left Journalism School

https://hollymathnerd.substack.com/p/why-i-left-journalism-school

In this long-ago world of American Idol and Dream Matte Mousse, I made what I consider to be one of the single dumbest decisions of my life (and believe me, the competition for that title is fierce).

I went to journalism school.

I lasted a little over a year at journalism school, about 11 months longer than I should have. Most of the big names would have been studying at the same time as me, those at the tail of Gen X or the beginning of the Millennial generation. The middle-aged cohort. The ones that need to dye their roots now (or get regular Botox). The ones with enough experience and gravitas to have “made it” to the peak of their career.

In my admittedly brief experience, people broadly seek a career in media for one of three reasons.

1). They want to write for a living … but they’re stupid. They don’t yet have the maturity and/or common sense to realise that this is a very poor industry in which to practice the art of wordsmithing. ...

2. They’re on a mission (a crusade, if you will) to right the world’s wrongs through the power of a huge platform. Not only does this involve clinical levels of hubris at a rather tender age, but rigorous disrespect for the “objectivity” we were all supposed to be striving for.

3. They want to be famous. This was a particularly prevalent motivation in the early 2000s because there was no Instagram. If you were aesthetically blessed and wanted to become a public figure, it was basically this or handing out cans of Monster at truck rallies hoping to get “discovered.” ...
...
What I couldn’t stand was the jarring dissonance between what I was being taught (attempt to be personally objective at all times in your work) and the real, unspoken values of the faculty (there is absolutely a correct way to think, and if you don’t think this way you are either stupid or cruel, and must therefore be either swayed or neutralised).

For example:

* Journalists must be politically neutral BUT I loudly identify as a Marxist, invite controversial protestors to give guest lectures, give anybody an A+ who is prepared to namedrop Adorno and Horkheimer, and talk a lot about the hideous bourgeoisie ...

* A good journalist should read from a huge variety of sources and be prepared to engage with work that does not align with their personal views BUT Fox should be disbanded, the talking heads should be tried for war crimes and watching it will give you cancer (and you’ll deserve it).

* Ethics should be carefully, thoughtfully studied and weighed BUT here’s why utilitarianism is the best system of ethics, and why “the public good” will always outweigh damage to individuals. Let’s also not think too much about who gets to decide what is “in the public good”.