By Mosunmola Adeyinka
I find myself treading on the path that some have referred to as the “pen profession,” known as journalism.
As a budding journalist, I’m seriously weighing the gains and cost of choosing journalism as object of pursuit, with the possibility; at least, of determining what such a choice might amount to, bearing in mind my circumstances.
My love for journalism is due to stories I’ve heard; stories of striking achievements made by journalists. These stories describe the thrill and exalted feeling of having done a good report.
Some people have also related remarkable experiences of being in places of honour and rubbing shoulders with distinguished personalities, which they would otherwise never have had access to.
Another influence behind my love for journalism comes from certain ideas I have formed in time about the profession.
I have often looked upon the profession as a bestowal of nobility and eminence; a means through which one could make a name for herself.
I can’t help being captivated by the thought of someone asking me about my occupation, and me in turn declaring, “I’m a journalist.”
Oh, it’s a wonderful feeling!
I equally understand the journalist’s quest for adventure, of so many exciting discoveries.
I believe that any decision to venture into journalism comes with some degree of putting one’s life on the line. Anyone aspiring to be a journalist really has to be doubly sure he/she grasps the seriousness of the matter in this respect.
I would be less likely to lean toward that direction of career choice, if I take into account the extreme rigors and pressures that characterized journalism.
Particularly, the fact that I’m a female, looking forward to raising a family of my own someday, makes a profession with such rigors and pressures, along with the almost prohibitive cost in time, appear all the more to be least suited to my interest or situation.
Time after time, I’ve found myself wondering how many husbands would be willing to put up with the sheer enormity of their wives as a journalist.
Again, there is the economic deficit relative to the labours required of one employed as a journalist. The financial reward seems low compared to how hard one has to work!
On these terms have I sought so far to highlight the upsides and downsides of aspiring to the pen profession, based purely on my own perception, which, admittedly, is a limited one, considering how much of a novice I still I’m. Whether or not I would ultimately decide in favour of this field of my present novitiate, time will tell!
First Published 2018
