What is a journalist?

In my first blog post, I commented on the question "What is journalism?"  I noted that journalists embody truth and knowledge, as long as they abide by the principles and ethical considerations of their trade.  At the end of the semester, and after learning a little bit more about what those principles and ethical considerations are, I still stand by what I said at the beginning of the year, but with more of an idea as to how journalists can accomplish "embodying knowledge."

One of the reasons I wanted to get into journalism was because I was tired of listening to so many people tell me how things were or should be.  I have never liked forming an opinion around what someone else tells me.  Instead, I'd rather hear the facts from a source that I can trust to tell me the truth, and then make my own decisions based on my own logic and reasoning.  As a journalist who maintains the ethical principles of their field, I would be able to give other people those facts the best I could without allowing them to appear biased.

As a journalist, one is also able to discern the reliability of sources for oneself, as well as use objectivity to aggregate facts that can form a complete picture of a situation.  As someone who likes to be independent from others' opinions and prejudices, I appreciate the need for being objective enough in my process that I don't allow my own prejudices to come forward.  I also admire the need for accountability in a journalist, and believe that a true journalist would embody that important quality, as well as so many others to become a source of truth for those without the opportunities to find out for themselves.