In the twenty-first century, the press plays a significant role in forming and changing the opinions of people, just like it did in the twentieth century. However, only recently, following a few widely spoken about media scandals, societies have started talking about a new generation of journalists being the key to making the press transparent and honest. With the development of online media channels, it has become easy to spread any information with light-speed. It is important to teach citizens, though, to distinguish between trustworthy and rather questionable sources of information.
This idea inspired me to create a blog where I regularly write posts about the development of social media, the Internet phenomenon and the influence of public opinion on our individual views. What started as a journalism class experiment when I was in my second year of college, acquiring a B.A. degree in Communications, ended as a successfully running 2 year ongoing media project that has already cleared the bar of 1 million visits. During these two years of running my blog, I have acquired a number of professional links and invited over two dozen well-known American journalists, who cover social media issues, to guest-write on my blog.
Looking back at what I have already achieved in journalism, I realize that everything, from my first journalism-related job as a high school yearbook interviewer, to my reports in college, has been an amazing experience and journey. Whenever I had an assignment related to writing, it was more of a feast than any kind of work to me. I love writing and I actually have written four full-fledged articles, two of which have been published in the Columbia University Journal and another two featured in the local newspaper. However, I realize that, before I become a professional journalist, I have much to learn and polish in my writing. But I believe that with my love for writing and respect for journalism as a profession, I will be a diligent and skillful student.
When it comes to learning, teachers are who matters most. So far I have been lucky to have great, wise and incredibly talented teachers, who contributed a lot to who I am at this point and what I want to become. When setting my next academic goal on the way to becoming a successful journalist, I tried to select the best school, where I could learn theory, as well as practice my skills in writing. Needless to say, the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism made the top of my list. My mother taught me one important rule: “When you aim for something, don’t compromise with anything else”. This principle has helped me make the right choices and achieve my dreams throughout my life. I believe that this time, it will not let me down either.
Thank you in advance for considering my candidacy.
