Can YOU Find Iraq on a Map?

In this article, cnn.com points out that approximately two thirds of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 can’t find Iraq on a map. And most Journalism students don’t read the newspaper on a daily basis.

Working on my journalism degree in my undergrad, a running knowledge of current events was expected. Even though I prefer to know what’s going on with Britney over what’s going on in Afghanistan, I still dutifully scanned the New York Times website daily. Now that I’m working in a news room, the amount of news that I consume has gone up exponentially. Part of this is because I don’t want to feel stupid around my co-workers.

I know that there are a multitude of excuses. Life is hard. People get busy. But our business is news and we need to read it to know what’s going on. If we don’t know what’s going on, how can we be effective reporters?

If nothing else, there is a high that comes with reading a story about unfolding events. I like being inundated with information from all different angles. The technology age is here, making news ever easier to get into. Even though I am not a fan of John Stewart in a news reporting sense, I do like that his ability to get younger viewers interested in politics and current events.

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard it said that newspapers are not going to be around much longer…I wouldn’t have to worry about potentially not having a career. I love newspapers. I love dissecting the Sunday New York Times, a page at a time while laying in bad. There’s so much old school romance behind it. When newspapers were first being published, they were expensive so only the affluent could afford them. Personally, I believe that newspapers will come full circle and become a source for the well off eventually. There will only be a few, perhaps the New York Times, The Washington Post and the LA Times, but they will still be around!

I just don’t know what it’s going to be like in the future. I love writing, but part of my thinks that I’m wasting my time in the journalism world. Unless I start working for some celebrity stalk rag, and as interesting as that might be, I’m not looking to become a professional stalker. The most disturbing part of this trend is that Journalism students aren’t supporting the industry that they’re in. Similar to the idea that aspiring fashion designers shouldn’t buy designer knock-offs because it disturbs the industry, as journalism students, the industry is being destroyed by a lack of interest.