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There have been many attempts by scholars and media practitioners to describe news and the work of journalists. From the two lectures we've conducted, which definition had provided the most clarity to you about what is news? Do provide an explanation for your choice.

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There have been many attempts by scholars and media practitioners to describe news and the work of journalists. From the two lectures we've conducted, which definition had provided the most clarity to you about what is news? Do provide an explanation for your choice.

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This question is a basic writing test, not necessarily focusing on journalism. Using the following three writing prompts below, write a short 150-200 word story based on your personal life experiences.

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This question is a basic writing test, not necessarily focusing on journalism. Using the following three writing prompts below, write a short 150-200 word story based on your personal life experiences.

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These are the three writing prompts:
1) Opportunity of a lifetime
2) friendships
3) keepsakes and mementoes

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Think and reflect on the state of journalism in your country today. Then, go through the sections of a newspaper listed in Lecture 1, pg. 27. Which two areas/types of journalism do you find most appealing and exciting and are something that you would like to specialise in writing? Why these two?

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Think and reflect on the state of journalism in your country today. Then, go through the sections of a newspaper listed in Lecture 1, pg. 27. Which two areas/types of journalism do you find most appealing and exciting and are something that you would like to specialise in writing? Why these two?

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During Week 1's lecture, I gave you some names of influential pioneers and leaders in the field of journalism, among them Nellie Bly and the Washington Post team who exposed the Watergate Scandal. Here are several more journalism pioneers. Each of you pick one name and research the contributions and achievements of the pioneer to journalism today. 

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During Week 1's lecture, I gave you some names of influential pioneers and leaders in the field of journalism, among them Nellie Bly and the Washington Post team who exposed the Watergate Scandal. Here are several more journalism pioneers. Each of you pick one name and research the contributions and achievements of the pioneer to journalism today. 

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The names are:
1) Joseph Pulitzer
2) E.W. Scripps
3) Rupert Murdoch
4) William Randolph Hearst
5) Anderson Cooper
6) Diane Sawyer
7) Hunter S. Thompson
8) Robert Fisk
9) Tom Wolfe
10) Walter Cronkite

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Qualities and characteristics of Journalists.

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Qualities and characteristics of Journalists.

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From your readings and own perceptions about journalists and the work that they do, what are the three qualities/characteristics that you think journalists must have  or most important to have? Justify and explain your answer using relevant examples, where applicable, from real news stories.

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In my opinion, I think the MUST-HAVES qualities to be a journalist out of all the other characteristics are courage, persistence and integrity. As shown in my examples written down below, I believe that it is these qualities that helped these journalists in chasing and writing their stories, which have brought huge changes in our society.

Courage
From Aggressive Overtures to Sexual Assault: Harvey Weinstein’s Accusers Tell Their Stories
-By Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker

Often times, we see news of journalists receiving malicious threats for simply doing their work.  To a certain extent, a lot of their lives were being put in harm’s way whenever they chase a ‘controversial’ story. Nevertheless, journalists braved danger in the face of these menaces. They are willing to go through great lengths and risks in order to tell the stories that were hid behind the public curtains.  Without their courageous behavior, corruption and tyranny would have flourish in this world. It is the press that helps keep the powerful in check as they help us hold authorities accountable. They inform us on factual information for us to make clear decisions. Without their fearless actions, we wouldn’t have known cases like the Watergate Scandal, or even the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

Ronan Farrow spent about ten months on his investigation, finding and interviewing survivors of the case. When he started investigating the allegations made against Harvey Weinstein, Farrow was repeatedly harassed as efforts to bury his reporting. However, despite being constantly followed by secret agents that were hired by the notorious Hollywood mogul, Farrow never stopped pushing his story, even when NBC (originally where Farrow worked at) refused to publish it due to the network being put under pressure from Weinstein.

Farrow’s bravery in his reporting did more than opening the public’s eye to how prominent men in Hollywood got away with their crimes. It ignited the Me Too movement and sparked a series of allegations against other notable Hollywood men as women survivors began coming forward with their stories online. Discussions about sexual harassment has also become more apparent and talked about compared to years before the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke. All thanks to Ronan Farrow’s courage to go after Hollywood's biggest and most powerful man!

Persistent

Why Did No One Save Gabriel?
-Garrett Thereolf, The Atlantic

It’s one thing to be passionate but it’s another thing to be persistent. Persistent journalists are able to dig out key information for their stories. When you’re persistent, you thrive to do your best in your work regardless of the number of rejects you have from your editors, the dead ends you reached in your stories or the frustrating issue of contacting unwilling interviewees and requesting them for answers. Persistent journalists write their stories in meticulous details since they’ve spent hours and hours researching and collecting facts for their story. Without persistent journalists, we wouldn’t be able to read comprehensive stories. Every single minute detail in a news story is important as a sentence can change our perception of a case. Determined journalists strive to chase after every part of their story as they can in order to be factual and unbiased. For instance, Garrett Thereolf.

Garrett Thereolf who worked on the ‘Gabriel Fernandez story’ had face countless of adversities, including his mental health at the time. He shared that cracking the inner workings of the system was difficult as there was no transparency and a lot of the information was being hidden deep. It didn’t help much when the Los Angeles County probed Thereolf to send every single email that had been directed to him regarding the case after they discovered he was asking around about Gabriel. Not to mention, gruesome details of Gabriel’s abuse and eventual death put Thereolf under heavy emotional distress that he himself admitted he had cried multiple times. The uneasy process has also caused Thereolf to seek therapy as he was left with ‘battle wounds’ ‘that would stay with him for the rest of his life’. However, that didn’t stop him from carrying on with his investigation and bringing justice to Gabriel.

When the story broke, it exposed the systemic failures within the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services as well as other county departments. Gabriel who was eight at that time died at the hands of his own mother and boyfriend’s horrific torture but could have been saved if the departments did their job. After Gabriel Fernandez, Thereolf continued to work on investigative stories on child welfare as there were still a lot of ground that was not being covered. Because of Garrett Thereolf’s relentless thrive to chase after his story in spite of the many obstacles he had to overcome, he helped shine a light on the problems and inadequacies with the Department of Children and Family Services in America that most people weren’t aware of.

Integrity

Fairness, objectivity and honesty are three core values that are often being emphasized in journalism. Hence, it’s common that to be a journalist, you must possess a strong sense of integrity. Journalists cannot be easily swayed in their reports. They must write the truth in order to gain the public’s trust, especially when the rise of fake news is more prevalent than ever albeit it makes the job of a journalist harder. The public needs to be informed on reliable decisions in order to make sensible choices. Without a neutral, unbiased story, the public wouldn’t be given the whole picture of the story and make fair judgments of it. Understandably, integrity can be hard to uphold when you’re in a country that use legal threats to intimidate the media. For example, Malaysia.

The Malaysian media is heavily regulated with draconian laws that are dressed as political weapons, often to hide the misconducts of politicians. Due to this, there a lot of restraints for journalists when it comes to writing their stories. A lot of times, journalists who report concerns surrounding the government are persecuted with reasons that it’s ‘an improper use of network facilities’ or it’s seen as a ‘national threat’ of security. However, Clare Rewcastle Brown from The Sarawak Report didn’t shy away from being critical against the government when she blew the whistle on the world’s biggest corruption scandal- the 1MDB scandal.

Like the journalists above, Rewcastle Brown’s investigation on the financial scandal led her to a tough journey as she was constantly stalked, receiving death threats and was even banned from Malaysia! Nevertheless, she stood on her ground and didn’t back down from the story. What’s more interesting was that Rewcastle Brown’s original story idea was about environmental degradation but her findings had led her to uncover a criminal case that had fooled the citizens of Malaysia for years. Clare Rewcastle Brown’s integrity oil the wheels to a large part of the change in government during the 2018 election- the first time in 60 years former ruling party BN was finally voted out. It contributed to one of Malaysia’s major historical event. It was the day where Malaysians have started to regain their hopes.

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I think the second lecture gave me much more clarity on what news is because after going through the second lecture, I can better grasp the concept that while the definition of news may change over time (perhaps due to the rapid advancement in technology), its core principals still remain the same- factual, objective and unbiased.

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Diane Sawyer, a notable figure in broadcast journalism has a long list of accomplishments but one of her most prominent contributions was that she pioneered many other aspiring women journalists to follow her footsteps. Back in her day, women journalists weren’t as much accepted as their male counterparts. However, Sawyer showed that she can be just as resourceful and competitive like her male co-workers. Her coverage of the ‘Three Mile Island Crisis’ helped her obtain heavy reporting assignments that were difficult for her male colleagues working in the news at the time. Sawyer showed the world that journalism matter not only to the public but also to women.

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Out of the four categories, I find ‘Lifestyle’ and ‘Community’ the most interesting because I have little to no interest in business or sports and it can be hard for me to write something I’m not passionate about (I am also not very business-minded and struggled a lot when I took Commerce and Economics in secondary school 🙃).

Other than that, the main paper section would DEFINITELY not be my first choice because I find it taxing to write political updates (especially about Malaysia) or even news about world disasters such as the Beirut explosion. In addition, I don’t think I’m a good columnist as I get scared of voicing out my own opinions in fear of backlash or controversy.

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Curiosity

Curiosity weeps truth, not everything is as great as it seems to be on the surface, a journalist’s job is to look at the facts, study them, analyze them and look past and into them. For many years Dubai was thought to be a powerhouse, of economy, business, tourism, infrastructure and wealth. Many journalists wrote about the growing city and admired it for the beautiful city that it was growing to be. Guided by a man of great ambition and great vision. Yet one anonymous reported looked past the glory and started to ask questions about how private companies were able to achieve so much and in so little time. A vision investigative reported, went undercover and was promised good money and honest work. upon reaching Dubai the contract that he has signed with the company seemed like a worthless document of paper and ink. He could only describe his ordeal as modern day slavery. This publication went viral and many other news organizations including vice brought it to light and the government was outraged by what many private companies were doing to laborers to cut costs. This was the beginning of a swift change within the laborer’s laws and rights.

Honesty

You may have heard that in many of the Gulf countries journalism is very limited, you may have also heart that all GCC countries prize their local nationals more then anything. This is true, by word of mouth and not by law. Law’s in Most GCC countries were set in place to protect everyone who is in GCC land. Yet many locals feel obliged to protect their local image and sustain it, no matter the cost. This was not the case when one Kuwaiti reporter by the name of Samir Salama, an associate editor in Gulf news wrote an article “Watch: Kuwaiti teenagers attack Egyptian woman”. Although at the time there was a lot of backlash from the article, the reporter stated that” the truth no matter how cold, will always prevail”.

Bravery

Bravery is not something a person can control, but is something a person has, in one way, shape or form. A reported can be brave by being honest, by being unbiased, by refusing a bribe and a reporter can also be brave by putting him or herself at risk in order to create a powerful story. One such journalist, is the Vice reporter Oscar Rickett, Oscar Rickett was behind “Going Undercover with Somalia’s Oil-Thirsty Pirates. He went undercover and wrote an article, He also filmed most of what he had encountered. Vice created a Film and released it along with his story, naming the Film “the pirate tapes’ is a film made with a low budget but very large balls”.

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“To me, the central purpose of journalism is to tell the truth so that people will have the information to be sovereign.” – Jack Fuller, journalist, editor and publisher at Chicago Tribute (1946 -2016)

The reason I find this definition so accurate is because it defines an accurate definition of a succesfull reported, this of course is my opinion, I think that reporters are truth tellers, they investigate, they expose and they communicate in order for the public to be sovereign.

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In today’s world of journalism, the most esteemed award a journalist can receive is known as the Pulitzer Prize, named in the honor of Joseph Pulitzer. Joseph Pulitzer was marked down in history for being a pioneer in journalism, initiating the pattern of the modern newspaper. Raising concern against corruption, fraud and ill practices, Pulitzer brought a positive change to the world throughout his journalistic activities.

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Topic: An opportunity of a life time

Title: The Top Of Everest

The silence was deafening, the darkness blinding, the bitter cold numbing and the unknown, but foretold fate, exhilarating. As my body slowly gave out, Feelings and thoughts, ambiguous, slowly crept into my heart and mind. An eternal and internal conflict. A conflict unrelenting and unforgiving. a choice to be made. To move forward, to achieve a long-desired dream and follow my heart or to finally give up and turn back after I have gotten so close.

I lay on the floor and quiet my mind, for with the enchantress of dreams I would be free of this suffering. The sounds of tranquil, my eyes enlightened, the sweet taste of success and a fate awaited, finally at reach. The enchantress had arrived and dream I did.

My eyes were shut, and slowly was I fading back into life, for the momentary peace that I found dreaming, an end would soon arrive. A dream annexed by the stinging rivulet chill of water as it sheltered my body. Released from my sleep I had opened my eyes, the sun, the warmth, the energy, the ice melting around me, as if released from iron binds, my mind felt free and my body felt determined.

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Business

Whilst living in the UAE, and witnessing how a successful business man or woman can grow by simple taking advantage of the right opportunities, its given me a new and profound respect for how fierce business is and has peaked my interest in it.

Political

Another topic I would really like to write about is politics, One of the main reasons I wanted to study journalism was to one day become an investigative journalist and to expose corruption in politics.

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Confidence

(https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/101east/2018/10/malaysia-najib-speaks-181027062409739.html)

Confidence is a quality everyone should strive to acquire but especially for a journalist, it’s a massive strength. It instills sureness and clarity into the air as the journalist shows no sign of vulnerability yet does not come off as pretentious. It also feeds affirmation for the interviewee or reader that there is someone reliable holding the reigns of the news story.

What comes to my mind when I envision a confident journalist is Mary Ann Jolley who interviewed former Prime Minister Najib Razak in what is now one of the most iconic Malaysian interviews of all time. Not only does Mary Ann not back down with the questions but she never comes off as condescending with the way she carries the interview. Her performance landed her an award with Al-Jazeera later that year as she was commended for her skill in conducting the interview.

Moral Ethics

(https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/29/world/asia/malaysia-child-marriage.html)

Following a moral compass never presents the easiest path but it definitely is the most just one. Journalists have an obligation to report the whole unbiased and unfiltered truth to their readers. In a time where misinformation and propaganda run rampant, journalists must take it upon themselves to never stray or strew away from the facts no matter what.

Not long ago, Hannah Beech stirred the waters when she published an article criticising Malaysia for allowing a 11-year old girl be sold off into a child marriage like cattle to a 41-year-old man who happened to be her best friend’s father. The rage and backlash that followed compelled the Malaysian Government to eventually separate the child from her husband and return her back to her home country under social care in little over 3 weeks. Beech’s desire to speak against injustice while still reporting news shows how her strong sense of justice was a catalyst for change.

Tenacity

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyl_xsdpteI)

Tenacity is a given in the field of journalism when chasing or reporting a story. Particularly when possible leads contain cover-ups or pose a risk to the journalist for exposure, the determination and persistence above it all to report the truth and nothing but the unbiased truth is what I think makes a good journalist.

The recent Al-Jazeera documentary concerning Malaysia’s treatment of migrant workers caused a great deal of talk in the country with the government threatening to take action. But Al-Jazeera stood their ground and stated that they reported the ugly reality as how it really is in truth. Despite sustaining raids by Malaysian police and lawsuits, Al-Jazeera’s sheer will and determination to not keep silent despite the odds shows their commitment to the citizens’ trust first above any political or powerful affiliations.

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The two areas of journalism I find appealing and would most definitely want to write for are:

Main Paper:

Besides the sports sub-section, the area of ‘National and World News’ stand out because it helps me grasp an understanding and keep up-to-date on the current happenings of the world around us. Similarly I find that the ‘Opinion / Analysis / Columnists’ and ‘Letters to the editor’ are a unique way of maintaining a relationship with the readers with inclusive and open conversations initiated.

Lifestyle:

This section aligns with my interests because I enjoy delving into cultures and trends, hence the ‘Entertainment’, ‘Culture’ and perhaps ‘Travel & Leisure’ sub-sections seem ideal areas that I’d love to write about at some point. I think it’s also a nice way to write without necessarily sticking to a strict-newsworthy report norm and more of general entertainment and interest.

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Keepsakes and Mementos

Under my bed sits a shoe-box, caked with dust and years of neglect. With only misplaced coins and dust bunnies to keep company, I carefully wedge it away of abandonment. A slow smile creeps on my lips as the nostalgia washes over me. Packed inside were mementos of a childhood long gone. Photographs of a gap-toothed child smiling cheek-to-cheek. Paper mannequins neatly stuck on coloured cardboard. Chunky friendship bracelets. Glitter pens arranged in rainbow order. Several journals chronicling the horrors of pre-pubescence. Letters written to my future self. I sit back on my heels, reliving the memories that managed to awaken once again. Here I was, entering a time-warp of unearthed stories and emotions.

The nostalgia was thick in the air, but it felt oh-so-bittersweet. Where had the time gone? A lump formed in my throat, and as the painful realisation dawned upon me that time was indeed fickle. I could never relive these care-free and easygoing moments again. With a sigh, I slowly replace the lid back on top, and close the chapter on a period long past its expiry.

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Personally, I believe the second lecture offered more clarity on what news is. This is based on the simplified examples provided by the renowned journalists like Sir Harold Matthew Evans’ 4-point explanation. Similarly, the quote by Charles Dana, narrowed down exactly what pertains as news we ought to write about rather than the type of news we can write about. The metaphor of the dog biting the human being adds simplicity but makes it easier to understand what would be expected form as a journalist. My initial understanding of how journalism worked was through films featuring Lois Lane, who chased incessantly after stories like her life depended on it. Now I can actually understand what makes the chase for a journalist’s story. It surrounds the novelty and sheer value in the content.

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Robert Fisk is one of the most acclaimed names in the modern world of journalism. With several notches on his belt, including interviewing Osama Bin Laden on 3 separate occasions, he has been known as the Middle East correspondent since 1976. With his unfiltered written outlook on wars, armed conflict and terrorist acts, Fisk delves into the darker zones which few tread on in search of the truth. Some of the topics he has reported on include the Armenian Genocide, The Lebanese Civil War, US intervention on Afghanistan, Iraq Invasion, the ignition of the famed Al-Qaeda group and many more. His dedication to unraveling the truth for the past 50 years has earned him several commendations, including the Press Awards Foreign Reporter of the Year on seven separate occasions, and he continues to revel even now in the field of war reporting.

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I think it is important for journalists to be curious. Their job basically entails covering significant events that happen around them, so being well-informed and up to date about what is going on around the world can help them develop story ideas quickly. Former NST group editor Rashid Yusof reiterated the importance of this quality during a talk in Johor last month.

The ability to work in a high-pressure environment should also be quite important. Some journalists had to deal with the added pressure of nonresponsive sources on top of tight writing deadlines when the pandemic began.

I also believe journalists should be passionate about what they are doing. I think it is an important trait that ensures that the articles they write are well-researched and of a high standard.

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Charles Dana’s definition, that news is something that interests the community but has never been brought to their attention before, explains news more clearly to me. I think this definition can be used as a general guideline for any news article one is supposed to write.

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Walter Cronkite was an American broadcast journalist who was known for his work as an anchor on Columbia Broadcasting System’s Evening News from 1962 to 1981. Hailed as the greatest anchor of all time, he was known for his calm demeanour and unwavering commitment to fair reporting. During his stint as an anchor, he reported on major events such as the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the Apollo 11 moon mission, and the Richard Nixon Watergate scandal. He has been awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom, several Emmy Awards, and two Peabody Awards for his work.

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The community and lifestyle categories seem appealing to me. I enjoy learning about the visual arts scene and documenting leisurely events. Not too keen on writing for the other categories because I do not know enough/have a strong interest in those subjects.

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Rupert Murdoch, journalist was inducted into the Media Hall of Fame in the first of three annual inductions to mark significant achievements by individuals in a century of journalism which helped shape Victoria. He said that in the speech that his father who first taught him the wonderful craft of journalism. He learned about the importance of taking risks, holding those in public office to account, and standing uncompromisingly for free markets, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. Those fundamental lessons and values have guided him throughout his life, and been part of the foundation upon built News Corp and 21st Century Fox into news and entertainment companies spanning more than 100 countries. His empire included newspapers, television and movie production in the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia. His political influence was considered immense and controversial. In Australia, his newspapers covered more than 60 per cent of the daily metropolitan and national market.Rupert Murdoch has reached the top of success because he has always been in a hurry. Murdoch’s constant struggle for growth, development, and improvement, restless search for new peaks and horizons which made him who he is today – a wealthy and powerful almighty master of the press, television and other media alike. 'Content is everything' which Mr  Rupert Murdoch applied as his life principle in his career.

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I had a better understanding what is news in Lecture 2. According to my understanding News is anything that interests a large part of the community and has never been brought to its attention before has been said by Charles Dana. News is about providing necessary information and unusual events based on observable facts to audiences. It should not be biased and should be free from writer's opinion.

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Saashmitta Norah Oyen (0335939)

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Saashmitta Norah Oyen (0335939)

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Saashmitta Norah Oyen

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Saashmitta Norah Oyen (0335939)

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Saashmitta Norah Oyen (0335939)

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Edward Willis Scripps was a philosopher of journalism and a businessman who came from a publishing background. He was known for advocating strongly about the right to freely print news, and he was prominent in his fights with municipal corruption. He founded the Cleveland Penny Press in 1877 and helped controlled the St. Louis Evening Chronicle and Cincinnati Post in 1887. After policy disputes especially in Scripps’ pro-labour views, he left the Cincinnati Post which steered him to multiply his newspaper holdings in the Midwest and South, retaining 51 percent of stock in all papers. Scripps’ newspapers were aimed at a mass audience. He kept his papers low priced and were aimed to encourage radical issues and the struggle of the labour unions. He once wrote: "I have only one principle, and that is represented by an effort to make it harder for the rich to grow richer and easier for the poor to keep from growing poorer." In an interview, Scripps said that he saw newspapers as "the only schoolroom the working people had". He claims that he is an advocate of educating the not-so-rich in worldly goods and native intelligence to make them intellectually equal as the wealthy. Scripps was dissatisfied with the Associated Press telegraphic news and opposed its monopolistic features, he then joined with others to form the news service, United Press International (UPI) to provide competition to the Associated Press. The confidence of Edward Wyllis Scripps in free enterprise and democracy has contributed significantly to the world of journalism.

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I personally think that I am a better fit in the Lifestyle category mainly because I have a higher level of interest in it. I like to think that I am quite up to date with the current trends in fashion, entertainment, culture, and food. I am also more of a freestyle writer and dislike being restricted. The second area that I lean towards more is the Community category. I love learning and reporting on local community news as well as promoting for local events. As for the other categories, I don’t have much knowledge and interest in them so it will be hard for me to write on.

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William Randolph Hearst, upon given the ownership of San Fransisco Daily Examiner from his dad in 1880, continued to build Hearst Corporation in that same year. Under his leadership, the newspaper gain readership up to 20 million, after previously only gaining 15.000. In the 1920s to 1930s Hearst became the biggest media conglomerate around the globe despite the financial problems faced by the company in the early 1920s. Over the years Hearst Corporation continues to expand by buying and launching many other newspapers and magazine. Today, the company oversee some of the most well-known magazines such as Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, and Seventeen, and big local newspapers across USA such as San Fransisco Chornicles.

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On the first lecture’s slides, there is a picture with answers to what is journalism (pg. 17). In the bottom of the picture was written “beyond being a beautiful job, it is a state of mind” which in my opinion best define journalists. I think a journalist is more than just a profession whereby a person interviews people and make their statements into stories. I think being a journalist is more about the little moments where we are so focused on finding out what happened, it’s the rush upon finding piece upon piece of answers to our questions, it’s the need deep inside of us to share what they’ve gained, simply because they think it can help people that read it.

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I think the qualities that a journalist must have is Courage and Determination.

A great example is Bopha Phorn who is one of the very few female journalists in Cambodia, and is an editor for the Cambodia Daily. In 2012, Phorn and another journalist, Olesia Plokhii, took up their courage to investigate on the claims of illegal logging in a protected area of Cambodia when gunmen began shooting at their vehicle with AK-47s. What initially was an easy task became a life-risking moment as the women had to escape through the forest. Phorn continued receiving threats from high level authorities for her coverage in drug trades. Even in potential danger, it was Phorn’s love and determination for journalism that kept her going even if Cambodia is a dangerous place for journalists as authoritarianism and censorship are on the increase. In 2013, Bopha Phorn was honoured in the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) Courage in Journalism Award.

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I definitely understood more on the definition news from the second lecture. Charles Dana’s definition of news: an incident that catches the readers’ attention. To identify whether the incident/story is worthy or not, we can base it off with the 12 news values undergone by many scholars and journalists. According to Johan Galtung and Holmboe Ruge, these news values are elements a journalist looks for when deciding it is news or not.

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Qualities/characteristics journalists must have  or most important to have is
a. Courage
The journalist has to be brave when asking tough question and digging deeper on sensitive or confidential information. Personal feelings have to separated in order to unleash the truth. For example, there was a difficult time in Iran, where war was happening. These eight members of staff as well as two contract Guardian reporters have done spells on the ground to report happenings to the audiences. Jonathan Steele and his Guardian colleague Rory McCarthy decided the story, however important, was not worth the danger and they did what they could by interviewing Falluja families who escaped to Baghdad.

b. Curiosity
The journalist must have curiosity so they can produce a good story and report it to the community. Curiosity is the main drive behind every great story; only by asking questions a journalist can successfully research and receive the answers and facts that can be publish to our readers. With a recent increase in fake news, it’s crucial to be curious and to question facts, too. A proverb says; “Curiosity killed the cat; lack of curiosity killed the reporter”. I find this saying to be spot on, since a reporter who is not curious, will just repeat facts that are already known. Curiosity is the willingness to find out more. We need to dig deeper and ask questions that haven’t been asked yet in an age that’s over flooded with information. For example, Robinson Meyer created an app name “How Y’all, Youse, and You Guys Talk”. It became double curiosity, both a weird sharable that scratches the Internet’s favorite itch, and a weird outlier for a traditional publication like the New York Times. This scenario also puts the #1 spot in perspective. For a traditional publication that publishes relatively few curiosities, traffic spikes are themselves unusual, and being #1 at the Times means something different than being #1 at Buzzfeed or Gawker (or even The Atlantic).

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Lifestyle
I think rather than hard news, my capabilities in writing are more suited for lifestyle articles. I first fell in love with words through a book, which also heavily influenced my style of writing, that tend to be more explanatory, descriptive, and long. This area of journalism also tackles more laid-back and daily topics that are more to my liking as I think that I am more well-versed on such category rather than the more serious topics that are covered in the main paper.

Community
Coming from my discomfort upon seen as ‘different’, I have always been curious about how the locals’ in a place live their lives. So I think this area of journalism is also more suited to me, seeing that I can go and observe or experience different ways people do things and kept up to date on what’s happening around me.

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Friendship (ish?)

“Can I take you home?”

The question hangs in the air as a few seconds past and she tries to nonchalantly say,

“Yeah sure, if that’s okay with you”

“Of course, let’s go”

Bogor is just as it always is at night. There’s a slight chill to the air, the traffic is dying down, and the sky clouded. But on that motorcycle that night, nothing felt normal. She doesn’t know if it’s the different route home, the constant wind attacking her face, or is it just the boy in front of her, but to her, everything felt different.

6 kilometers and a heavy silence later the boy turned his bike off in front of her house.

“This one right?”

“Yup” she said, as she’s getting down.

She saw the watch on her wrist, it was 9 already.

“Thank you for the ride”

The boy nods, “You should go in”

“No it’s okay, you should go first, it’s late”

“No, please” he begged.

“Alright, thanks again. Have a safe ride home!”

She hurrily open the fence and get inside. Her heart can’t seem to stay still.

I’m inside, I just have to lock the fence, wave goodbye and get to
the—

“Hey, um…”

The girl shot up her head upon hearing his voice, startled. Her eyebrows shoots up as if asking him to continue. For a moment nothing happen and all she can see is his eyes, staring at her.

“Nevermind. Just go inside”

“Oh… okay. I’ll see you at school”

“See you”

The girl continue to lock the fence, waved her goodbye, and walk back to the house. The door closed behind her as she heard the sound of the motorcycle going away.

I should have asked what’s wrong, she huffed.

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Friendship

As we stood before the beaming city of stars, I caught the faintest of whispers from you over the bustling horns of wheels.

I held your hand, the creases of our palms connecting, hoping to give you the comfort you were seeking for ever since your feet touched this piece of earth. The thousands of sorrys mutter under my breath, and the almost single tear cascading down from my very eyes. I can never understand what you’re going through, no matter the countless times I prayed I want to before my body shuts completely for slumber.

Night skies laden with gleaming stars were supposed to be of wistful hopes and wishful dreams.  Jogging my memory, times were simpler- empty talks filling the air with your chortles of glee.  I am reminded of every thick and thin we have been through- that we have always managed to make it to the finish line together. But the race is never ending, and you’re getting tired. I can see that.

My heart aches a little with each frown of yours in sight.

“I’m just so sad.”

“I know and I’ll try my best to make it not for you.”

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2) friendships

When I was younger, I spent the bulk of my evenings bicycling around my township together with the rest of the kids in the neighbourhood. At 6pm sharp we’d all come barrelling out of our houses right after dinner, ready for adventure. This mostly consisted of us scaling small hills or performing so-called stunts over trench drains. Very exhilarating stuff.

We also probably saw a ghost once. Someone thought it was a good idea to check out an abandoned building we had come across one day, so we slowly rode up to its windows to stare at the tattered furniture inside. It was only when a long figure streaked across the living room that we booked it and swore we would never go back.

Like with most things, our little cycling club eventually drifted apart, with some members moving houses and some leaving the country altogether. As much as I’d like to go exploring on my bike again, it just isn’t the same when you’re not a child anymore.

The memories of those days, however, remain close to my heart.

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Principled
As a journalist, abiding by one’s principles is the most important thing. Because I think most of the characteristics that a journalist should have can be maintained only if they have the courage to stick to what they believe. Though of course, being principled doesn’t translate into being inflexible. It just means that they have to play by certain rules in their commitment to delivering the truth. When I think about this I am reminded of Najwa Shihab, first and foremost a journalist, but also the host for her show Mata Najwa. She is famous for her straight and forgiving nature when dealing with ‘important’ people that came to her show. Najwa reveals in many talk shows and podcasts that she attended that there have been many attempts whereby those ‘important’ people ask her to make them look ‘nice’ in return for some money. I admire her unyielding belief in doing what is right and not to give in to the easy way out.

Compassionate
(https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2019/10/14/17010051/kisah-hendar-ojek-online-yang-kehilangan-motor-cicilannya-hingga-dibantu?page=all)
I always believe that we can create some of the most amazing things in life when the matter is close to our hearts, so is delivering news. Though objectivity is certainly a must in doing so, I believe that having empathy would do nothing but make a person a better journalist. This is because though in delivering news we have to be objective, sometimes the truth itself can be subjective. And empathy is needed to truly understand someone. An example of this that came to my mind, is when a Gojek driver in Indonesia loses his instalment-bought motorcycle after a responsible party stole it. The writer of the news managed to deliver the information and the warning that came with it, while also showing empathy towards said driver.

Resilience
Being a journalist, to simply put, is not easy. I am sometimes convinced that if this journalism is a sport, then journalists would be trach athletes. The reason is sometimes it can be easy peasy and all they have to do is run and at times there are some hurdles that they have to jump through to get to the finish line. Resilience is needed because there won’t just be one hurdle at a time, at times it’s 3 to 5 hurdles in a row and they still need to run afterwards.