I don’t understand what I was thinking when I first decided to join journalism. I was in 8th grade doing freshman year course registration, and I impulsively signed up for the introductory journalism course after hearing that a friend signed up for the class, not knowing what the course was about. I eventually decided that I’ll keep the class in my schedule as a way to “try something new”, since everybody seemed to be encouraging that to the freshmen. 

I went on to join the newspaper staff during my sophomore year as a graphic designer and photographer. As it was 2020 and we were online, it was awkward for us all to figure out what to do. But as we eased into Zoom journalism, I became heavily invested in visual storytelling through graphic design, and once we returned to the classroom, I expanded my passion for storytelling into breaking news photography as well. 

It was through breaking news photography that I truly witnessed the power of journalism on the community. When I started covering the multiple Black Lives Matter protests within the community, a protester approached me and thanked me for publishing their voices. The Black Student Union began to trust me and reach out to me when they wanted coverage of a fundraiser or another protest. I got to see the faces of my classmates light up when I published photos of them performing in public for the first time. 

Through countless hours spent on storytelling, I’ve learned that journalism is not about telling the objective truth 24/7. That’s not possible for humans to do. What journalism is about, however, is a snapshot of people. It’s about capturing a one-hour event that is significant to someone, like performing in their first drag show at Iowa City Pride. It’s about facing the ugly flood of emotions that someone might be feeling that day, like when a Black mother broke down in tears while talking about fearing for her two sons’ future in America. It’s about looking at the lives of people around us and asking, “what story can be told here?” like when we told the story of a substitute teacher who wanted to become a U.S. Senator one day. These snapshots allow us to witness their truth and their reality, enriching our collective journey toward understanding the world around us. 

It still amazes me that a class I impulsively signed up for ended up changing my life forever. Holding the camera has taught me more lessons than sitting at a desk in high school ever did. I learned that I was capable of bringing about important changes, just by showing the world someone’s truth. Looking at who I was four years ago and who I am now, I know that these years spent in the newsroom have changed me for the better.