![\"W.](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chistell.com\/africanamericanfiction\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/WEB_DuBois_1918.jpg?resize=460%2C599&ssl=1\")
Committee to\nProject Journalists (https:\/\/cpj.org\/<\/a>), Common\nDreams (https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/<\/a>)\nThe Center for Investigative Reporting (https:\/\/revealnews.org\/<\/a>\n) and Reporters Without Borders (https:\/\/rsf.org\/en<\/a>)\nare among the organizations that work to protect journalists. Their work is\nnecessary. If investigative journalists are silenced, so too could be the\ntruth. It’s why we need more of these effective fact finders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There would be no Watergate without great investigative journalism. We might not learn about corruption at the local government level. Stories like the Flint, Michigan water crisis and the North Dakota pipeline protests wouldn’t get the widespread attention that they receive were it not for the work of great, probing journalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the\nCivil Rights Movement, it was the investigative writing, the radio shows and probing\ntelevision journalists that pushed deeply troubling events into the public eye.\nIt was those printed, heard and watched stories that helped to change the\nconscience of the nation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n During my\nearly years, I was impacted by the works of great journalists like Gwen Ifil, Walter\nCronkite, Xernona Clayton-Brady , Ed Bradley and Ebony <\/em>magazine’s Lerone Bennett, Jr. On Sunday evenings, my family\nwatched 60 Minutes <\/em>religiously. Ed\nBradley covered a story and interviewed influential guests as if the only thing\nthat mattered to him was the truth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And how I\nadmired Mr. Lerone Bennett, Jr. and the amazing, moving stories that he told\nabout the African American community. He had a rare way of digging into a story\nand uncovering hidden gems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Other great journalists who I recall and appreciate are Edward Morrow, Ida B. Wells, Lillian Ross, Michelle Norris, Helen Thomas, Dan Rather and Bernard Shaw. There is also Max Robinson, Maureen Dowd, Diane Sawyer and, of course, the great, W. E. B. DuBois.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine if stories they broke were never shared. How much would we not know? <\/p>\n\n\n\n As aforementioned, we need more of these courageous, curious event explorers. We need more truth seekers, truth sharers. If you are thinking about pursuing a career as a freelance writer<\/a> or journalists, I commend you. I encourage you to be committed to the craft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Research colleges and universities. Consider college journalism programs that have robust internships, externships and that have established journalists as guest speakers. Be prepared to do the hard work during and after school. You could become one of the greats. You could help to change the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wonder if it’s the knowledge that the work they do can change the world, enlighten and help to awaken, that fuels journalists. The risks are too high for the chance to experience an adrenaline rush to be enough to keep someone on the journalism path. And there are certainly easier, safer, ways to travel. Regardless of motive, I deeply appreciate great journalists’ work. <\/p>\n\n\n\nProbing great journalists surface issues before they develop into bigger social storms <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Springboard off good journalism training <\/h2>\n\n\n\n