A Storytellers Perspective

Despite how sad this epidemic is for our world, with overflowing hospital rooms and scarce ventilator systems, I can’t help but shake how this may be a form of divine intervention. Perhaps we needed to pause and be reminded of our collective sense of humanity and that our physical and tangible means have limitations. We are entering an era where we must change the fundamental systems that tear apart our Earth. The environmental crisis must be addressed. Poverty in our communities can no longer be ignored. Too many lives are on the line and the very streets on which we walk, need time to heal too.

During the past semester, Dr. Allissa Richardsons, Engaging Diverse Communities course, has helped me shape a new perspective. As a graduating senior, my studies in USC's Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism have guided me to understand the importance of journalistic integrity. From analyzing content produced by my peers and journalists around the world, I have learned that it is a journalists role and responsibility to share and give volume to the voices who may not otherwise be heard. In such unprecedented times, I see now how my courses over the past four years have prepared me to do so.

From realizing the emotional impact a human error in news media can inflict, to analyzing the historical changes that have redefined an entire neighborhood. I see for the first time how fear and small alterations can create a suffocating feeling and lead to gentrification for those who call it home. So many people living in isolation do not have a community to safely discuss and critique the news they ingest from the world around them. In times like this, it is essential to remember that it is a privilege to have a space like Annenberg where thoughts and diverse opinions are encouraged to be shared, debated and heard.

We as humans are incredibly impressionable and that is why it is essential for news outlets around the world to be conscious of their words and content they publish. From a push notification, to an op-ed on your Instagram feed, to the covering of a Presidential press conference, word choice and tone is essential. As publications word choice typically reflects the perspectives of each specific outlet's core audiences. This also makes me wonder, to what extent is a publication able to consistently produce audience-catered tropes? When it is the individual journalists who make up a publication and bring their own unique perspectives, experiences, and cultural lens to the table.

In this particular course, we were tasked to complete a word cloud exercise to visualize how political rhetoric can manipulate an article's angle. By gathering articles on controversial topics such as abortion and gun control, the comparison of word clouds from publications that lean left or right had stark differences. It was through this assignment that I saw my professors teachings in action.

Journalists strive to adhere to the integrity of their associated publication, yet I have learned that what makes a journalist trustworthy is their willingness to acknowledge that they are human too. Journalists are individuals that legally have access to the same news that you do and are also striving to make sense of the world around them while providing much needed insight. The humanistic perspective helps me feel more calm. It helps me to remember that the man or woman behind the broadcasting desk is just like you or me, and without them, working to communicate and dissect the news, we would probably all be living with much more fear and uncertainty. I realized that a journalist's role is like an optical prism. Think of the Pink Floyd album, The Dark side of the Moon, as a visual. New facts, events and situations arise at all hours of the day and are simultaneously directed at our journalists. It is then their role to digest the information and share it with the public in just the right amount of interest and color for an audience to understand.

During this pandemic, we are brought, literally, for the first time, into our broadcasters’ living rooms and family basements. We are all experiencing cabin fever, all learning new things about ourselves, uncovering the truths about the world around us, and are reminded that Amazon Prime is not a bottomless pit and that next day delivery is an absurd luxury. We have learned that baking banana bread is a great way to pass the time. Some might have even thought that Gov. Andrew Cuomo should probably run for President (just an opinion). More importantly, we are all fearful that our lives will never go back to the way they were, and wonder when we will get to look back and say, “Hey, remember COVID-19? Those were crazy times.”

This pandemic has reminded me that humankind is all connected. We are connected to each other and to the environment. It seems that others are opposed to this mindset, as people nationwide continue to protest and proactively choose to not abide by social distancing. Instead they act in rebellion out of fear, as the threat of contagion can twist our psychological responses. Which is why it is essential that we as a society, enter a new state of consciousness. If this time is granting us anything, it is granting us space to reflect on how we are going to unite in our humanness and to learn to strive for equality. Equality of the sexes and races, and reach harmony with each other and the Earth. It is time for all of our racist, misogynistic, xenophobic systems to change, and it is a journalists responsibility to be the fresh voices in this new era within these marginalized communities in our world.

The news industry has been disrupted by technology many times before such as the printing press, the rise of radio, TV news, 24-hour cable news cycles, smartphones, drone) and our journalists are the ones who have stepped up and evolved. From our Grandparents listening to Walter Cronkite say, “That’s the way it is,” as his signature segment sign-off, to today's icons such as Greta Thurnberg, a 17-year-old Swedish environmental activist, who uses her platform of 10M Instagram followers to inform environmental impacts that COVID-19 is having on our planet. These are two examples of extremes, journalists today on local, national and international scales are still striving to report the news objectively. Is it still a realistic expectation though, for journalists to draw a line between their professional and personal opinions? Especially while our politicians have lied or misled people too? This is the challenge with which modern journalists are presented: to adhere to or abandon this notion of objective truth.

Going forward, it is our responsibility to remember why we students have chosen the path of studying journalism. Collectively we respect those who have reported in the past, those who have put their lives on the line to share their storytellers perspective, and those in the press who have adjusted but did not abandon fundamental principles of journalistic integrity. If we, the students, are the fresh voices, then there is no better time in the age of journalism to share our perspectives and help the world heal, than today.