so this is what dreams are made of

Have you ever had a moment of absolute clarity? The kind where everything makes sense and where a weight is lifted off your shoulders? A moment where you've achieved something you've wanted so desperately. Have you ever had a dream of yours come true? When you've made it?

Last year, Red River College presented Dawna Friesen with the Alumni Achievement award for her various accomplishments which include being the NBC foreign correspondent based out of London, England.

I had the priviledge of meeting Dawna while she was here accepting her award and attending a dinner in her honour. She shared a story with RRC students about how when she graduated, a news director once told her to slit the bottom of her tongue in order to get rid of her lisp. She refused and prospered anyways.

I think of the things she's achieved, the places she's visited, the things she's seen, and the people she's helped, and I wonder if this was her dream. Because it's mine.

This past Spring, it was announced that Dawna would be taking over as anchor for Global National for Kevin Newman.

So why am I writing about all of this? It's because, I wonder, how must Dawna feel at this time? Did she ever dream about being in the place she is now today? What were her hopes and dreams? When did she have her moment of clarity when she decided to be a journalist? Is she proud of herself or has she accomplished so much that she's used to her successes?

I remember getting emotional as I listened to Dawna speak when she was in Winnipeg last year. The reason is simply because she inspires me. It isn't often you see someone who has started in the exact same place that you currently are go on and achieve the things you can only dream of one day doing. She motivates me. And I'm proud of her.

Congratulations Dawna. I am so thrilled to have met you and I admire where you are and all you've done to get there. Good luck with your new job because I, for one, will be watching.

Journalism or entertainment?

So, most people who know me well know that I have a soft spot in my heart for Ms.Oprah Winfrey.

I know, it’s a bit strange. But I don’t mind admitting to it.
I like the fact that her show is about real people and real stories (so maybe it’s her producers I really like...) and I respect the fact that she surpassed surmountable odds to get where she is (being raped by family members, getting pregnant as a teenager and having her child die, etc).

I remember watching an episode of the show a few years ago where Oprah read an entry from her diary on the eve of her 25th birthday about how she was restless, anxious, and waiting for something to change and happen in her life. I admire how far she’s come and I’ll miss the show.

For those who know anything about Oprah, they know she started as a broadcast journalist and then moved on to have her own show. So what I want to ask this week is whether or not Oprah’s show is a form of entertainment or a true form of journalism....or maybe a mixture of the two?

I think her show is clearly for entertainment, but I also think there’s so much journalism, reporting, interviewing, facts, and stories in her show that it’s also a form of journalism.

I, for one, am sad to see her go. Hey, Oprah, if you need a replacement, I’m sure we could work something out.

So I thought about it a bit more....

Last week, I wrote about what I think journalism is....and my answer was what I believe to be true, but I truly had a hard time answering that question.

How do you sum up what you think you are meant to do with your life?

Then it came to me. The below video is what journalism means to me.

When people ask me why I want to be a journalist, I always say, well...er... I want to make a difference, I want to help people, I want to be where the real world is, I want to experience the truth and then tell it.

Most of the time, I am met with blank stares.

But here, this is why I want to be a journalist. Whether the video was staged or not, for argument's sake, let's say it was not. Anderson Cooper is out there, he's making a difference, he's where it matters. And wow, do I wish I were there too.

What is journalism?

What is journalism?

So I’m back. After four months of what seems like an accelerated summer, I am back to blogging.

And I’m happy to be here.

Over the past year, I’d become attached to my blog. I began to feel at home with the art of writing from my heart, without worrying about being graded for my work. So I admit, I am glad to be back.

We were asked in our journalism class what exactly journalism is. And it got me thinking. I know I want to be a journalist, I know I’ve committed myself to this career and cannot wait to being working in the field. But then, when I was faced with this question, I realized, I’m not really sure exactly what journalism is.

According to the University of Western Ontario, “journalism is the timely reporting of events at the local, provincial, national and international levels. Reporting involves the gathering of information through interviewing and research, the results of which are turned into a fair and balanced story for publication or for television or radio broadcast.”

Hmm...that definition seems to make sense. Journalism does include research, information, interviews, facts, and storytelling, all things I love about it....but I’ve realized, those things, while I love them all, are not what makes me so passionate about journalism.

What is it for me? Where does my passion come from?

Simple. People.

To me, journalism is people. We have no facts, interviews, stories, research, or life to our words or broadcasts without people. I am passionate about journalism because it is a form of storytelling which enables those around us to learn about others and their experiences which may not be possible if there were no journalists to tell their stories.

What is journalism? To me, it is people. It is the mechanism which connects what is happening in the world to a person (or people) and other people around the world becoming aware of it.