Why I am writing a blog and why journalism?

How many times were you asked the following question growing up?

‘What do you want to be when you’re older?’

A classic question for children and I have absolutely no idea what answer I gave as a 13-16 year-old. Astronaut? Doctor? Dentist? Superhero? A question which encourages exploration, personal ambition and I suppose a little bit of fun.

The question is impossible to answer as nobody knows what the future brings, but what I can share is the fact that my own publication as a Gloucestershire journalist is very enjoyable. The journey has been a challenge and it is one good reason why I have decided to set up by own blog to accompany my professional work.

You can read more on what Call Me Will entails via the About Page, but to add just a bit more in an introductory post, I see this blog as getting my other interests out there through words and pictures. For the foreseeable, expect more posts related to topics I care about as well as some pieces on my personal hobbies.

The question on what we all wanted to do when older is slightly easier to answer as we grow up through school. It was inevitable that I was not going to be a scientist or engineer because I hated maths at school (don’t tell former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife), it was English, History, Geography, French, Music and A-Level Media Studies which I enjoyed the most.

The choice to study a degree in journalism at university really appealed to me but I never thought that one day I would be doing this as a career. In fact media, journalism, communication roles and digitial content creation – every aspect appeals to me a lot, a career involving creativity with words, pictures and social media no matter if it’s just journalism or shooting video for someone else, I love what I do.

I have always had an inquiring mind especially in history and sports, particularly cycling, football and rugby. As I have got older I have also developed an interest in current affairs, politics and walking – all of these interests giving me a good platform to try and make this blog worth my time. Whether it is writing an article, reporting the news, creating social media content or blogging about various subjects, it is all journalism to me, the art of telling and presenting a story.

For me the word “journalism” means communication. The journalist has to gather, assess and present news with an eye for key information and a need to find the truth. What journalism does so well is give the voiceless a voice and I view the role of a journalist as someone who must be curious, accurate, enjoy talking to people and have a knowledge of current events.

Journalism is a craft and an industry. During my degree I gained a fair amount of knowledge on news reporting, sports reporting, feature writing, broadcasting, media law and public affairs – all essential and all important to gain further knowledge on. The industry means many things to me as I take a great interest in news not just on TV but also online and the radio (how brilliant is a good podcast nowadays!).

One of the more important aspects about journalism is a command of English and to do this it is always advisable to read as much journalism as possible. Consuming as many forms of media (not 24/7) such as online newspapers, radio, TV, magazines and also other blogs is important.

One final point to make on why journalism means so much to me is the development of a niche interest and a desire to write about something you take a firm interest in. If you find a niche subject and have devout care, the niche becomes a strong specialism and for me it helps teams of journalists in a newsroom. You can expect to see my main niche interests, especially walking and cycling, included in this blog.

I hope you enjoy what I write.