Blog One

Why I chose Journalism.

Growing up, I often heard the words “speak up” or “speak louder.” Even today it is sometimes hard for me to hear those words and think, what am I doing wrong? As a kid, I used to write about almost anything, whether it be what happened on the playground at school that day, the top 10 countdowns of “106 & Park” after school I used to run to watch or even theatrical plays I used to make up in my head. Although I did not realize it as a child, I found my voice through words on paper or words on a screen; that’s how I would speak up.

I grew up in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Charlotte with rich culture. Every weekend, the neighborhood kids and I would play outside until the street lights came on. Oftentimes, we would hear stories from older people in our neighborhood about their lives. As I got older, I realized that these stories needed to be told, the stories you would not usually hear about in this part of Charlotte.

I was not interested in journalism until my sophomore year of high school. Down the street from my school a police shooting of an unarmed Black man occurred, not as surprising in this day and age. Riots were happening down the street from my school and I was right down the street from it all, eager to be a part of it all.

During this time, I also took a photography class, which sparked my interest in photojournalism. I decided to major in journalism because I want to be able to tell the stories that often get overlooked and shed light on underrepresented populations. Also, being able to be on the front lines of important issues happening in my own community.

What comes to mind when I think about mobile journalism is telling stories with modern technology. It really puts an emphasis on visual and digital storytelling. Throughout the class, I think that we will be diving into digital storytelling and using technology to help take storytelling to another level.

After college, I plan on attending graduate school. I would like to go into the photojournalism field, editorial field, fashion photography, and global communication field as well as becoming a professor. I’m still trying to figure it all out.

- Charlee Douglas