Telling Factual Stories

Lecture Week 1 - 27/02/2012

"You are the Journalist"

As I stare up at the screen in my very first Journalism Lecture on my very first day of University, I already feel like I have achieved more today than I have the rest of my life prior.

I am the Journalist.

The words entered my retina and danced around the back of my brain for a little while. As far as an introduction lecture goes to get you excited for the next four years, this one held by Dr Bruce Redman at the University of Queensland easily puts any other course to shame.

As I sat eagerly and listened, the question was asked: Why study journalism?

Why was I, Emily Newton of Coffs Harbour, in this room at this university looking at the next 4 years of my life?

As I pondered the great questions that were plaguing my mind at that time, we were told the following reasons.

• Because it is there.
  We use it every day, and as technology advances, news has become readily available to us. It is something that will always be there.
• Because it can tell us about ourselves
  By understanding how journalism works, we ask ourselves, why? This reflects our personal beliefs, it creates a greater understanding and appreciation of ourselves and the world around us.

But I think they forgot to mention one important detail in this introduction lecture...

• Because it changes the world.

Journalists today, while many criticisms exist, whether you like it or not, are a part of what shapes history. While we may not be the politicians of the court house or the winners of gold medals, we are the ones who write and record who we, as human beings, are and what we have done. Without journalists history would have been like past centuries, recorded only by the victors.  It is through Journalists that we record, we learn, we critique, we wonder, we empathise, we sympathise and we get off our ass each day and do something to make a difference. If there were no journalist, then how do we know what is being discovered? How do we know if there is a war going on next door? We don't. 

The world needs journalists, just like a baby needs it's bottle.

As made popular by the 1940s editorial writer for the Washington Post, Alan Barth...

"Journalism is the first rough draft of history"

It's very safe to say, I am more than looking forward to the next 4 years.

- Emmerleener

In the beginning...

So, let's start at the top.

I am Emily Newton, a 19 year old small town girl living in a big city.

It has been a very whirlwind adventure thus far. 

Raised in Coffs Harbour from ages 5 to 18, I moved to Brisbane for one thing only. To get out of the black whole that small town's become. I escaped the gossip and the drama (to put in to perspective, when I moved we had 1 bar that you could go to on the weekends. Literally) and switched it for the bright lights and big opportunities.

Getting in to my dream school, the University of Queensland, I worked my bum off in my gap year to afford to study, and I am loving every minute of it! Other than the occasional drama involving my Twitter account constantly un-following my JOUR1111 cohort, this course is seeming to be exactly what I wanted.

Lover of Hunter S Thompson, my mind was set that Journalism was to be my career path when my older brother Ben gave me "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" to read, one rainy afternoon when I was 12. Now, as a buddy journalist is aware, we can't all live the Rock'n'Roll lifestyle Mr Thompson had to offer the avid readers of Rolling Stone Magazine. There is a lot of hard work to get to the top...

But who says I can't make it that way up..?

All I can say is, watch this space.

One day you will be reading about my crazy awesome adventures on the road and thinking to yourself, "I wish that was me".
I guarantee you.

If you're hungry for more, google "emmerleener" and you'll find me.