My mom wants me to be a business major. She hasn’t said it directly, but she readily tells me about all the benefits of having an MBA, how versatile a business degree is, how I can change my degree to business at any time, and so on.

And maybe a business degree would be a smarter choice than majoring in journalism.

I think it’s fair to say that journalists aren’t well-liked at the moment. According to a recent Pew Research survey, 57% of Americans have low confidence that journalists act in the best interests of the public. As someone who aspires to be a journalist, I want to refute this, but I often struggle. There’s a lot of reason not to trust the media, after all. As political polarization increases, it’s harder than ever to find news sources without an obvious bias. Some news sources, such as Fox News, have gone so far to spread misinformation because it aligns with their political views.

Plus, it feels like everything’s telling me that going into journalism is a bad idea. People say it’s dying, that journalism will be killed by AI, that social media dominates the news cycle and traditional publications don’t have much of a place anymore.

But, either out of dedication or stupidity, my ambition has not wavered. Why? Because it’s the main way I see myself contributing to the world.

I am not assertive enough for politics. I’m far too concerned with satisfying everyone to get elected or make adequate policy.

I’m no professional activist. While I loved the walkout this year, I loved it because I was part of a crowd. I couldn’t be a trailblazer for that type of thing.

There’s no way I could help people medically. I can’t even tie a complicated knot, let alone treat injuries with required delicacy.

But journalism I can do. In journalism I observe, think, ask questions and report what’s important.
Many people reject the media, but they don’t have a responsible replacement. Haters of mainstream media go into their own bubbles or echo chambers, listening to everything they want to hear and nothing they don’t. That doesn’t foster the kind of critical thinking that’s needed in society.

Journalism taught me the importance of engaging in current events with the depth they deserve. Spending 18 months on a story about trans students’ rights was frustrating, but worth it so that we would write well thought out stories and not something that only addressed the issue on a surface level. My feature about the Indian mascot being retired taught me something similar, to go beyond the mascot itself and into what it means in the context of indigenous mascots, the emotional ties alumni have, the underlying impact of it, and thinking critically about all viewpoints.

I hope that through reporting, I can encourage critical thinking in others. In times like this when the country feels especially unstable, like it could slip into full-blown fascism at any moment, and the president has practically declared war on the media, it’s more important than ever to care about other people, and I believe journalism is the perfect tool for that. Engage in it critically, yes, but do engage earnestly.

I subscribed to the New York Times last summer to access one story, I don’t remember what it was, but it’s provided me a lot of value in terms of learning about other people since. I learned about American Jews’ perspectives on the genocide in Gaza through Ezra Klein, and I learned about the insider’s view on the Iran war through Franaz Fassihi. Journalism has taught me what other people think, how they feel, and I can empathize with them in ways I couldn’t had I not read these articles. 

While much high quality journalism is unfortunately behind a paywall (another problem that people have with the media) it’s not impossible to access. AP News articles are free, so are Reuters and PBS. And most news outlets allow access to at least some articles for free. And if you are willing to pay, you don’t necessarily have to break the bank. You only have to pay $4 every four weeks for the first year of your subscription to the New York Times and you can access BBC articles for $9 a month. Sites like AllSides can show media bias so you can be mindful about your news sources. In any case, it’s important to have some reliable sources to stay informed about what’s going on in the world and how people feel about it.

My version of caring for the world is keeping the public informed; I hope by doing that, I can help people learn to care for one another. There’s nothing like seeing suffering people on the news that compels you to help. Going into journalism won’t be easy or secure, but, for me, it’s the right path. And as you, my fellow Class of 2026 graduates, transition into adulthood, I hope you find a path to engaging with the world, too.