Blogging and All that Jazz

amateur
Most commonly an amateur is understood to be someone who does something without pay or formal training. Conversely, a professional is someone who has received training in a particular area and who also makes a living from it. The word comes from French, and can be translated as "lover of", reflecting the amateur's motivation to work as a result of a love or passion for a particular activity. source Dictionary.com


So I read this definition and thought yes. This is where I am at: a young reporter wondering what the hell is going on. A lover of the idea of the role of Journalism and yet still undeniably undefined in terms of the profession.

In the midst of doomsayers and their hopeful counterparts in Journalism, I must admit I find myself relatively confused as to what I should or shouldn't be doing to help refine and define myself for my future profession. As my graduation date nears, I find the aspect of being dropped into a field surrounded in such confusion nauseating. However, thanks to several recent panels and lectures, I think am starting to get it ... maybe.

Anyways, on the advice of Texas Monthly Multimedia Editor Eileen Smith, I am starting a blog. (She started a Texas government political blog, In the Pink, before she was at the Monthly.)

Who knows what exactly is going to be posted here, but it will be interesting at any rate. So enjoy ... or don't. Just read it.