Journalism Is for Everyone
You're not a writer, but you still learned how to write.
You're not a cook, but you still learned how to make a few dishes.
Not only that, but getting better at writing and cooking helps improve your daily life no matter what your profession.
Journalism is the same. You don't have to be a journalist to practice and benefit from the skill of journalism.
Currently, this is not how we treat journalism. It's ill-defined black magic that some people are able to do and some people aren't. And this perception needs to change as soon as possible.
Amateurs can make delicious food. Your friend can write a beautifully worded email. And average people can perform heroic acts of journalism just by methodically pursuing the truth.
Conversely, even a seasoned journalists can mislead, omit evidence that doesn't support their world view, and try to enshrine an agenda in the halo of their reputational integrity.
A journalist is not an immutable identity bequeathed upon you after achieving a certain level of skill or experience. It is a temporary role that we all can inhabit when we exhibit certain behaviors.
Maybe you cruise various reports across the internet about what vacuum cleaner to buy, then write up your findings for others. Maybe your that person at the company all-hands asking confrontational questions of management even though they're clearly annoyed. Maybe your curiosity is piqued whenever someone is trying just a little too hard to get you to agree with them. Maybe you don't let something go until you really know what's going on.
We should all start viewing journalism like reading and writing. As a skill that we all need some training in to survive in the modern world. A skill that you can practice and get better at. A skill that when you're better at it, it conveys an advantage over those who aren't as good.
It's an important goal of JournoDAO to change this perception and give everyone the resources they need to bring journalistic practices into their everyday lives.
If this resonates with you, please email us: [email protected].