A roundabout path to journalism

It is often said that journalism is a calling rather than a job. I could not agree more.  

Although I am sure there are many people who grow up knowing that they want to be a journalist, I must admit that I was never one of them. I have always had a voracious appetite for the printed word, whether in novels or newspapers, but I was a consumer rather than a creator. Even though I did write the occasional article for the school newspaper during my high school years, I never felt compelled to take it further. I was going to be an engineer, or maybe a lawyer. A journalist? No thank you. 

At university I ended up majoring in English studies and political philosophy after a short sojourn through law, followed by more studying as I made a valiant yet ultimately futile attempt to avoid the real world. Although my university did offer journalism courses, it still did not occur to me to enter the trade. 

Fresh out of university and with a Masters degree in English studies in my hand, I did a bit of lecturing, which did not really appeal to me at the time, followed by a stint in educational publishing. It was not bad, but it just lacked a little something. 

It was not until I relocated to the Cayman Islands that I had my first taste of real journalism. As with many journalists, it was one of my passions that served as bait – sport, in this case. With a good eye for photography and a love for various games at which I was no good as a player, reporting on sports seemed a natural fit. It provided an easy transition into journalism, as all the ‘useless’ information I had been gathering over the years suddenly became very useful. The fact that I had flitted from sport to sport as it became clear that I was no good as a player also helped, as it had gifted me an understanding of various sports and just how challenging they can be. 

Although sports still holds a special place in my heart, after a while I was given the opportunity to broaden my horizons, working on a number of different publications including magazines, each with its own unique challenges and rewards.  

As I work on different articles, I learn something new each day, sometimes about things I never knew existed, while at other times I find that even though I thought I knew quite a bit about a subject, I had barely been scratching the surface. The profession also allows a lot of room for personal and professional growth as you develop your writing and photography skills through experience and training. 

Yet for me, the biggest attraction of journalism is that you can make a real difference. Apart from doctors, law enforcement and rescue services, I do not know whether many other people can really say that.  

Keeping people informed about the world around them and doing so in a fair and balanced way presents a new challenge each day. And then there are the people – not just the people you work with, but the different people from diverse backgrounds you will interact with on a daily basis. As a journalist your people skills can be every bit as valuable as your writing skills.  

Looking back, it would not have taken much to push me into journalism earlier. All I lacked was the exposure.