[CR] My Journey to Journalism
Posted by
amazwi writers
Posted on: 04/21/08
[CR] My Journey to Journalism
It all started in January 2007, when I was sitting under the jackalberry tree next to my home where people sell fruits and sweets. My cousin came and gave me the Amazwi pamphlet that offered a free journalism scholarship. I never thought I would be one of the students. I was tired of applying for employment and bursaries without success. I wrote the essay that Amazwi application required just for fun. I knew journalism to be a tough job and a job for men. I always salute the journalists I see on TV. I knew I loved writing, but I didn't know how I could realize that dream. My family always said I should be a lawyer or journalist because I love asking questions and hearing stories.After I received a call from Amazwi for an interview, I started to fantasize about myself as a writer or journalist. I saw myself walking with pride as everyone feared and recognized me.
Here I am today living half the dream--most people in my community fear and respect me. Some respect the fact that I work with white Americans. Some think I am highly educated and earn lots of money. Some think I can help them with their problems. Some hate me, fearing I will uncover their dirty secrets. Most people give me their personal stories, which they think are important enough to be published. "I want you to write about my husband. He is not maintaining our children," said one woman I met on the street. Others come to my home and explain their problems. "My house fell, and I have no where else to go. Please write about it. Maybe the government will help me," said Noria.
Sometimes I feel guilty and useless knowing that there is little I can do that will change their situation. When I am on the bus to home, everyone wants to have a word with me. "My boss is not treating us well. I have been working for years, but I still earn R800," said a man. "Please write about this issue. Maybe I will finally get help."
Even in my home, a place where I used to find rest, stories run after me. My uncle said, "I want to tell you about old politics, and I want to tell the government to take away all the guns that people have. Maybe crime will be reduced. I have lot of stories. Why do you keep ignoring me?"
I always feel ashamed to tell them that my editor won't like their sob stories, so I tell them I will speak to my boss and I will tell them her response.
One story that has stayed in my mind was about a three-legged goat! I heard about it and found it weird. I had never known such a thing, and I knew that people would wonder too. Well, I was disappointed when I pitched the story to my editor, and she disliked it but said, "You can write the story but I won't reimburse you for the cost." On top of that, she assigned me another story. The looked on her face told all--that even if I wrote it, she wouldn't publish it. My managing editor also made my joints weak when she said, "It could happen that a goat could have three legs." But I knew that my community loves stories like that, which they can twist into witchcraft beliefs.
I phoned my friend who writes freelance for a big company and gave her the story. With a blink of an eye, the story was in the biggest paper in South Africa, The Daily Sun, and it was the talk of my community! When I passed through town, I heard the newspaper seller marketing it by saying, "Come and buy today's paper. It has a local story of three-legged goat! You can't come tomorrow and find this paper. All copies will be gone." I felt like half of me had been ripped away. I felt like I should tell the guy that it was my story. I felt like the story should have my name. Every person who held The Daily Sun was talking about it.
Those are some challenges journalists face. It can happen you like a story and the editor hates it, and the story that you don't want to be published for your own security is the one that she loves. Sometimes I ask myself if I really belong here, yet I love writing. I am a timid person, yet I love asking questions even though I sometimes find it hard to approach people for stories. I hate it when someone stops me on the way and says, "Constance, how can you write about that? Aren't you afraid of getting killed?" I hate it when others look at me with red eyes, fearing I will unveil their dirty life. But as my senior editor said, "60 percent of the stories you write you won't like. You will only love 40 percent of them." Yes! He is darn right! That is what journalism is all about. You can't make yourself happy all the time. One thing I know for sure, I will never enjoy another job more than writing.
amazwi writers
2
share
subscribe
contact
subscribe
RSS
30 Apr 21:04
Leave a Comment