My experience of "Journalism in Society"



There is a keen interest these days in measuring "outcomes" to establish the  level of achievement in any endeavour - from cooking a cake to undertaking a course of instruction.  At the beginning of this semester (see Post 1), I set out my reasons for embarking on “The Journalist in Society”.  Now, as we near the end of this thirteen week course at James Cook University, I will try to assess how adequately,  or otherwise, my hopes for my own engagement have been fulfilled.

Have I found this an interesting course?  I certainly have.  How else could I have glimpsed the meaning of “journalism” in this day and age?  How otherwise would I have learned that there is much more to this field than writing articles in the newspaper?  And through what other means could I have discovered the myriad of forces that shape today’s journalism and the incredibly complex and challenging world that today’s journalists inhabit? 

Have I learned some new skills?  Yes!  In fact I’m amazed by how many I have acquired, though I’d be the first to admit that there is a lot more for me to learn (specially about the ability to be concise - and to keep quiet occasionally!)  I’m certainly not a whiz in the world of social media but I'm proud that I now have a nodding acquaintance with Facebook and Twitter.  And I have a blog too!  Who would have thought I’d learn about those esoteric concepts and even in a limited way be able to use them?

Have I staved off mental decline?  Well, I guess that is for others to guess.  I’d certainly concede I'm not the fastest thinker in the class but I do have some considerable determination and I think that has helped me to at least try to conquer things that are, for me, new and very different to those I have known before.  For someone who has never been particularly mentally adventurous, I don’t think I’ve done too badly.

And finally, have I had fun?  If I were a lot younger I’d be tempted to say, “you betcha!” but, at the sage age of 68, I will settle instead for a relatively sedate “I’ve enjoyed this experience more than I could have imagined”.   To be able to hear so many new ideas, to be able to contribute, to meet a new group of friendly people of all ages, to be able to groan and to laugh – all these have been joys indeed.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my lecturer, Marie M’Balla Ndi, for her excellent presentation of some very interesting material and her patience and help to me personally.  I would also like to thank the School of Journalism for allowing me to participate in JN1001 as a University of the Third Age student.

Anne Atkinson