THE NEXT GENERATION IN JOURNALISM

Gillian Shaw was privileged to review a number of submissions by journalism students applying for the Jack Webster Foundation scholarships. Reading their essays gave cause for hope for the future of journalism. Here is a sample of their thoughts: “Journalists enact change every day by holding power to account, and by making sure the public knows what’s going on in their community. It’s a hugely important field in its ability to keep power from being abused …. So much of our historical records come from authorities who may have tweaked the truth for their own purposes — but journalism lets us see how real people are affected by an event, war, or policy.” — Srushti Gangdev, class of 2019 in the B.C. Institute of Technology’s broadcast and online journalism program. “It’s important as an act of service, and that service is vital to democracy and society.” — Melanie Woods, a student in the Master of Journalism program at the University of BC. “Journalists have an important role. We do the legwork — researching and fact-checking — as trustworthy intermediaries. It’s our duty to get to the heart of the story with integrity, and to make complex issues accessible.” — Lauren Donnelly, UBC’s Master of Journalism program. “Not only can quality reporting keep people informed and empowered day to day, it can act as a collective memory that has the power to connect generations with cycles of the past …. Journalism also facilitates change in a vital way. I’m consistently amazed at issues that are brought to light by large and small publications, and how those stories prompt conversation. I think everyone deserves to know what’s going on in their community.” — Cloe Logan, a student in Langara’s journalism diploma program.