Right before Spring Break, I had to do an assignment for one of my classes through Twitter. The premise was to get used to using social media as a form of reporting and becoming familiar with how to optimize your reach on different platforms. But it also brought to light the emphasis on our image and how we carry ourselves in the public eye.
While I do see the importance of maintaining a clean record and being cautious of what you put online, I also find that there are a lot of personal beliefs and unique qualities stripped away when your image is too closely monitored.
One of the major ideas that I have been battling as I learn more about what I want to do for the rest of my life is where Morgan as herself starts and Morgan as a journalist begins. And the more I actually think about it, there isn’t a clear line and I don’t know how I feel about that yet.
I am an opinionated person. I thrive off of winning debates and feeling the wash of accomplishment after being vindicated. Could possibly be a toxic trait but that’s beside the point. I don’t want to have to sacrifice the personal pieces of myself for the sake of being seen as trustworthy. I think that the idea that absolute neutrality coincides with integrity is too black and white.
That idea is honestly what’s been keeping me from sharing more of my work and what has scared me into unpublishing a lot of my work. Most, if not all, of the people I know who have their own websites, feature work that is a lot less raw and personal than mine. Does that make me a less reliable source for news? It might and that’s the main thing that I think has prevented me from finding a total home in my major and the journey I have just begun.
I don’t want to disregard the importance of objectivity and accuracy because I believe in those two things and think they are of the utmost importance when sharing current events. I just don’t know yet if I can be that perfect unbiased voice.