Living as Laura

Wednesday, July 15th 2009 I asked Chuck Todd, a White House press corp correspondent, Because Big Business and advertisers own TV, radio and newspapers, how can a truthful, conscientious journalist make it in this rating driven and business driven media? Does that question sound as though I am attacking him? I think not! Yet he seemed to take great offense to the question and turned it around on me. Stating that the idea that big business controls journalists is a myth, that if I want to be such a conscientious journalist than nothing will stop me from doing so. He continued to say that in fact having the big organizations would allow a journalist to cover more mediums and have a broader following than they would without big organizations. I admit I was somewhat shocked by his defensive manner but I wasn’t offended or intimidated even though he spoke and looked at me as though I was ignorant for have asking the question and for buying into the so called myth of business and advertisers having control. Were I able to have asked a follow up or state my opinion, than I would mentioned the bias of stations such as fox, cnn and msnbc. For MSNBC is widely known for being left wing as Fox is known for being strictly right wing. Did my question make him nervous? maybe not. Irritated, bothered? I think that’s a yes. Despite all of this I find him to be an extremely intelligent correspondent and could only hope to hold a position as he does. Thank you Mr. Todd

One of my favorite panels was Tuesday morning at the National Press Club. There were four speakers, all very informative but two more so to me than the rest. They were Jonathan Martin and Chris Cillizza both successful in the field of journalism and quite inspiring. Listening to them explain the way this industry is changing, yet assuring that no matter what the public will want information, further feeds my fascination of this field. Realizing that I must find a niche in journalism and be an expert, leaves me thinking of two areas, politics and international affairs. American politics and its politicians never cease to shock, disappoint, humor and amaze me. On the other hand I am truly captivated by international affairs from Europe to Africa to especially Latin America. These two men, were energetic and clearly their love for their career just radiated from them and left no doubt in the  fact that they were passionate about what they do. My greatest desire is to have such an innate passion that I would be willing to do it for free. Journalism is that passion.

Never before have I traveled alone but as I told my mother this morning before I boarded the flight to Washington DC from Los Angeles, California, my endless travels  must begin sometime and today was the day. My passion for communicating through writing,  and voicing my opinion on daily issues occurring around the world is what I hope to enhance at this conference. Not only do I hope to affect people locally but globally, to force the public to have those needed moments of clarity, to not only lose their innocence to life around them but their indifference to it. Margaret Bourke-White brought the depression of the 1930’s into the households of all Americans through her photographs, not allowing them to turn their heads, however unpleasant the atrocities may be. Communication is the key to understanding one another, without it, without true journalists, without true media the wonders of humanity would be lost. I hope all of my fellow national youth correspondents will take away from this conference an unquenchable desire to communicate the truth, to share with all the importance of opinions, of thoughts and the act of putting those thoughts to paper, or teleprompter, or even a blog.