Hoover Middle School holds first career day

When my editors asked me to represent the Sun-Star at a career day event for Hoover Middle School, my mind drifted back to my high school experience of career day.

A reporter from the local newspaper presented, but I could only remember his face and taking his business card.

I hoped to make more of an impression on my visit Monday morning to the school’s first career day. What I found is that the students and their questions left an impression on me.

I arrived at the school loaded down with old newspapers, reporter’s notebooks, business cards and a camera. I still worried the poor students would be bored out of their minds at the little speech I had prepared. Dr. Von Goodin, a dentist with props way cooler than mine, assured me that no matter what, some students would be bored, but some would be engaged and ask questions.

The teachers and staff who organized the event gave students some examples of good questions to ask and how to ask them. I answered many questions about how much education is required to become a reporter and the average yearly salary for journalists.

I also asked the students a couple of questions, such as what their perception was of news and media. One student’s reply was something like this: The media leads people away from the main point of an issue.

That’s an opinion I’m sure many people share. It was something I expected to face. If you ever browse the Facebook comments on Sun-Star articles, it becomes clear very quickly that readers are incredibly skeptical of news reports.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read commenters accusing “the mainstream media of pushing their agenda.” I wouldn’t know because I don’t work for that type of company. What I can say about newspapers such as the Sun-Star is that we really don’t have the time, energy or desire to push any kind of agenda.

The same student who expressed a somewhat suspicious view of media asked another interesting question: Which stories are the most popular among readers?

Simple answer: crime. I also gave a more complicated explanation. Readers will say over and over that they are tired of reading negative news. Why don’t you write more positive stories? As reporters, we enjoy writing the positive stories. And we write them a lot.

In my little speech, I tried to convey to students why I love my job. I learn about so many new things all the time. Working in the news industry, every single day is different. Every day is a chance to write a stronger story, do better than yesterday and put your best foot forward. Most of all, reporters get to meet and speak to new people all the time.

That’s mainly why I like my job – talking to people and hearing their stories. A lot of times, my day is spent speaking with government officials, CEOs and experts. But to me, the most interesting and rewarding aspect is to be able to tell the stories of those who otherwise would not be heard. I’m inspired by those stories of people who persevered through extreme hardship against all odds.

It’s possible the students I spoke to at Hoover Middle School will continue their lives without ever thinking about me again. I hope at least one student is a little more interested in news and what’s behind it. And, maybe one of those students will become a storyteller for the next generation.

This story was originally published May 9, 2016 at 6:26 PM with the headline "Hoover Middle School holds first career day."