Where Faith Finds Us

My most significant struggle with journalism is trying to find room for it in my faith.

I realize this is backward from what is normally said, trying to find faith in journalism, but I don't want to live that way. I want journalism to fit to my faith, but sometimes it's as easy as putting square blocks in circular holes.

I look out into this world at the devastation and despair. People are crying out for something to save them, but they don't stop to see what could. Faith is forgotten, cast into a shattered heap with Hope, Love and Charity. Once roaring torches of Truth, people allow their candles to flicker and, sometimes, snuff out. The media craves these stories, not of finding Light, but of overwhelming darkness.

I want to be different.

Religion defines us. More so, Mormonism defines me. I was raised in Georgia, and from an early age I had to learn what was more important to me, praise of man or praising God. In order to be a strong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I had to know that my knowledge was true. I had to know what I stood for. Once I had that knowledge--now that I have that knowledge--I cannot deny what I know.

President Bednar has a talk in the September, 2007 Ensign called "Seek Learning By Faith." One of his quotes struck me:

"We recognize that as learners, you and I are to act and be doers of the word and not simply hearers who are only acted upon. "

I am a learner, and I will be for all of my life. I will act upon the things I learn and act upon the things I write. I will not allow myself to be acted upon. My editor assigns me stories, but I write the words. I will not be coerced into acting as the mouthpiece for another person. My bylines will reflect my beliefs.

My journalism and my faith are intricately related. I can have faith without journalism, but I will never have journalism without my faith. Another of my heros, Elder James E. Faust, said this:

"Rather than beginning with a wish list of all the things you want in life, the real question may be what are you not willing to do without."

This September, 1986 Ensign, though dated, is still correct. There are many things I want in life. I could fill libraries with my wants, I could fill encyclopedias with my needs. My lists would wrap around the world as my selfish desires were voiced. However, there is but one thing I am unwilling to do without.

My Faith.

So editors may torment me, critics may scourge me, articles may find me broken, blocked and berated, but I will not, I can not, deny my guiding power. When Faith and Journalism collide I will not be caught in the cross section. Instead I will be lifted upon wings of Faith. Lifted up and kept safe.

With less of Folly's Frivolities and all of Folly's Faith,

Allison Goett

...if you can't beat them...

Most know how this phrase ends.

...join them...

I feel like this was John Gee's approach as he presented his paper at the Mormon Media Studies Symposium last week. 

He wrote a paper titled "Under the Media's Nose: Overlooked Factors Undermining the Presidential Campaign of Mitt Romney". It was well written, well researched. I felt like he really believed in what he was talking about.

He explained how the Evangelical Church came to be and some history concerning them. He then focused on their Counter-Cult Culture. In this culture, they came to believe that Mormons were members of a cult (Dear Readers: They aren't) and then worked to try and disband the religion.

Gee then went on to explain how they got the public to fear Mitt Romney because he was Mormon and that is why he had to drop out of the race.

I do believe that the media was extremely focused on Romney's religion in the campaign. I do agree that it was not fair to question him about aspects of his life that had nothing to do with how he would run a country. I do think it is ridiculous that he had to give a speech about his religion because he couldn't get anything else done. 

However, I do not condone the way that Gee slander those other religions in order to get his point across. Just because people speak poorly of one group does not mean it is fair to speak poorly of them. 

In the future, I'd hope that we wouldn't take an eye for an eye.

With all of Folly's Frivolities,

Allison Goett

...woof...

To begin, why watchdog? I think we should be watchducks.

...on second thought, not the best idea I've ever had...

While I'm musing over Journalism's animal change, let me share a quote by Finley P. Dunne. 

"Comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable."

Now, before you start getting onto me about reporter stereotypes (You know, those people who try to ruin everybody else's lives), let me explain. I'm not saying that journalists should find a happy middle class family with 4 kids and a dog and try to ruin their lives. That is just cruel. 

I'm also not saying that journalists should search the lives of public figures and try to ruin theirs. (Dear Journalists, President Clinton was a decent president-- was his personal life important? Same goes for Mark Sanford.)

Instead, I think that journalists should be there to assist the world in becoming smaller. No, I don't mean dig a bunch of holes and send the dirt into space. 

Every morning, people sit at their tables, eat their breakfast and read the newspaper. When they are done, do they feel sorry for their neighbors in North Korea who are starving, or their friends across the pond who are feeling the economic impacts of BP's fall from grace. 

They probably aren't.

But I think we can fix that! 

We should be the Watchdogs (or watchducks) of our society. We should be the windows to the world. We should make this world a little bit smaller everyday. We can do that, you know. We just have to try. 

We just have to care. 

With all of Folly's Frivolities,

Allison Goett

P.S. I know you are waiting for it.

In My Opinion

An opinion is what you have when you don't have any facts. When you have the facts, you don't need an opinion.

~Solomon Short~

This quote, considering the source, strikes me as funny. Solomon Short is the "alter ego" of David Gerrold, a Sci-Fi Writer. I do realize that Science Fiction needs to be accurate, but a lot of what he rights is his opinion, in essence, of what he thinks the world is going to be. 

But, of course, if he is writing about the future, he wouldn't have any facts, would he?

Why the long story? In class we talked about verification and journalism. I know this may come as a surprise, but we aren't actually allowed to make things up. I know, it stinks. But there is a bright side! You see, if you are a good journalist, there is always a story. Everyone has one-- it just takes searching. There is never a need to make up facts when there are so many interesting but ordinary people walking past us every day.

But with all of this interesting information being shared, it is natural to become close to those you learn from-- DON'T! This one will be hard for me. I like people. I like to be around them, I like to learn from them, I like to make connections with people. This makes me a good interviewer, this makes me a terrible journalist. 

Don't get me wrong-- my stories sound the same, my writing is unaffected-- but it is like a doctor that gets too close to a dying patient, they can't let go. As a journalist (and as a doctor) we have to be able to let go of our sources, be sympathetic but unaffected. 

It may be harsh, but it's a harsh world.

With all of Folly's Frivolities,

Allison Goett

Truth in Media is NOT an Oxymoron.

...well... most of the time...

Okay, so sometimes journalists make a mistake-- but that is why it is so important to verify your information all the time. That way, if something goes wrong, you can say your sorry and people will BELIEVE YOU... if you always lie, no one is going to give you the benefit of the doubt. 

So it's simple, all you need to do is verify, verify, verify. 

But how?

Don't worry-- I paid attention in class and can totally answer your question. 

First, Don't add cool information. I know it would be great for your article if the F16 had done stunts-- but sometimes a fly-over is just a fly-over... deal with it. (P.S.... if there is a fly-over and you don't think that is cool enough, you need to go visit a doctor.)

The second one matches the first. Don't deceive the audience. You are loyal to them... loyal people don't lie. Remember that. (For those living in a hole: liberal media tried to make the Tea Party Rally seem unattended... it wasn't. You can also see how they try to shape your opinion by the type of people they interview and the people and posters they have surrounding the anchor.)

Third, Rely on your own reporting. Don't read an article in the paper and assume that the journalist worked hard to uncover every angle. Do your own research, write your own story. It is okay to base a little of your story off someone else's, but be your own journalist-- and DO NOT PLAGIARIZE!!... ever.

Fourth and Final, be humble. Don't let your pride get in they way of apologizing for a bad story. It would be better for you to apologize and try harder in the future than for you to try and defend your bad story.

With all of Folly's Frivolities, 

Allison Goett

...Enter My Mind...

Halloween's coming up, so I don't feel bad about completely scaring you with that request.

But it is a scary proposition.

My mind is a filing cabinet-- relatively organized, but with so many shelves I can't remember what I put where. I think of it as the Church's Family History Library-- extremely useful if I could just figure it out :)

But now to the reason why I am inviting you into my mind. I do not intend to scare, or drum up some sort of hypnosis mind play. I intend to tell you about a visit from Donald Myers of the Salt Lake Tribune and his discussion about the mind of a journalist. Considering I'm an aspiring journalist, my mind seemed a good place to enter.

First things first, my mind needs to be consumed by a desire to be loyal. I need to be loyal to the citizens, to my sources, to myself, to my religion. If my loyalty fails in any of these four things, I will be nothing. I will fail.

My entire life I have told people that my word is gold. If I make a promise, I will come through, no matter what it costs me-- unless I have to sacrifice my ethics. Because of this belief, I know that I can be loyal. So, Check! One thing down.

Myers also discussed how we need to look at the world. Our job-- because of our loyalty-- is to "look out for the powerless" and "hold the powerful accountable." We are expected to collect information, protect the innocent, challenge the guilty and give voice to those who are silent.

That is our job, our calling. Those are the thoughts that should be filling our minds. Be a journalist. Even if you're a scientist! Think like a journalist, watch out for those around you.

Be the Gatekeeper of Your Own Community

With All of Folly's Frivolity,

Allison Goett

Hey Momma! Guess what I learned in School Today...

Talk Back.

Yep. All my life I've been told to take things, to turn the other cheek. I've been told that when I'm in trouble I need to say "Yes Ma'am" and "No Sir." I've learned that children should be seen and not heard. Well, I guess I'm not a child anymore, because today someone told me to talk back, speak out. That person was Josh Awtry, and this is what he told me. 

First, I'm going to start with the depressing-- that way we can get it out of the way and move on with our lives. 

In 2009 one in six readers left USA Today.

In 2009 one in twelve readers left The New York Times.

What does this mean? It means I don't have a job. 

Well, I will have a job, it just won't be how I expected it to be. This next comment is right out of Josh Awtry's mouth... and his powerpoint:

"The future is not in newspaper."

Shoot. This must be a cruel joke. But it isn't. Newspapers are Dying.  P.S. When you hit that link, start singing a song in your head... this is a good one...

Thankfully, this wasn't all he came to tell us. Apparently, there is still hope! We find hope in this wonderful little invention called the Internet. Yeah, I didn't know about it either.

According to Awtry, journalists have to build from the ground up. It's like trying to get a recording company to publish you, If you don't have a following of diehard fans, they won't sign you and give you the backing you need to get diehard fans. Shoot. 

So, he said we should blog. Thank you Prof. Campbell for making us do this-- however my "follower" section isn't nearly up to par... in fact... except for extra credit readers... I'd have to say the only reader of my blog is... 

oh no... I don't even read it! I only write it... 

I'm going to start proofreading just so someone gets to listen to me ramble.

Awtry called this (not the rambling, the blogging) "Build[ing] your brand." So here I go... brick by brick by brick by brick...

Eventually, every thing I do, and everything I work for will combine into whatever I am supposed to do. So, yeah, my future is a giant question mark, but what's new about that? I'll just make sure that I'm prepared, in as many ways as I can be, for that question mark to become clear. 

With all of Folly's Frivolity,

Allison Goett