Ode to a Journalist

Entering Miami University with a focus in pre-law, I was presented with a multitude of options: deciding criminal prosecution would most likely be my career of choice, I decided to major in journalism (to cultivate the much needed writing skills of the legal profession) and psychology (to delve into the minds and the pathologies of possible future clients). Despite at first not being interested in the career world journalism had to offer, I quickly become enamored with the type of writing and research this profession had to offer. It also become strikingly clear how much the classes I completed and the real-world projects I was required to partake in improved my writing ability. At the same time, I became acutely aware of the inadequacies of my fellow peers’ writing who had not been exposed to the same background and classes I had. Although my writing and that of my other journalism peers are still not perfected in any way, it appears that our training in the journalistic field has allowed us to supercede the writing abilities of Miami’s undergraduates as a whole. Although not wanting to in any way to mock or devalue this very much respected and intelligent undergraduate university, I believe every student – no matter the major – should be exposed to one or two journalism classes in their college career. I found it vastly helpful in not only improving my basic writing skills, but also reshaping the way I approach essays, time management and deadlines. I think everyone could take a page from journalism’s book.

-- Lindsay Jackson
Nov. 29, 2007