Latest update April 23rd, 2024 12:59 AM
Dec 25, 2013 News
By Abena Rockcliffe
We all know that the joy of Christmas comes long before the day; it’s all about the season. But, as a Journalist, it is sometimes impossible to enjoy this festive season working all the time.
The Oxford dictionary defines Journalism as “the activity or profession of writing for newspapers or magazines or of broadcasting news on radio or television.” But I would personally describe Journalism the way men sometimes describe women, “can’t live with, and can’t live without.”
You see the thing is, I love what I do; but quite often, I find myself thinking I should be doing something else. The feeling I get when I pick up the Kaieteur News and read one of my stories that I think was well done is almost priceless. But some days I just wonder, ponder and ask, why?
I used to be a Christmas fanatic. My excitement with the season revolved around cleaning, decorating, eating, buying gifts and of course receiving them. Quite frankly, the only thing that I wasn’t too keen on is the cooking, that’s because mom usually goes overboard in that department. But even though she would prepare more than we could possibly eat, I helped; even if it was just by passing the honey to glaze the ham.
My absolute joy was the buying of gifts; but for some reason each time I entered a store to buy for someone I bought for myself as well. I used to convince myself that God sent me in each store so that I could see an item that “called my name.”
But all that has changed.
I usually don’t get the time to shop, decorate or even pass the honey for mommy. I don’t even get the chance to be in the kitchen on Christmas Eve to taste EVERYTHING mom makes and ensure it is “alright” for the rest of the family.
Most Fridays, I find myself becoming very angry at those who update their facebook or BBM status to “TGIF” (Thank God It’s Friday.) There is no TGIF for me, because journalists don’t get the weekend off. If one of us chooses to ‘party’ on Friday night, we have to ensure that we do it at a level where we can get up on Saturday morning ready to serve the nation. At Kaieteur News we ensure that we drink enough coffee to stay up during the Saturday meeting, when Adam throws out his “story ideas”… which usually takes a while.
Quite often when celebrity singers are being interviewed, they are asked the famous question; “What would be your advice to upcoming artistes?” I will answer that question from a journalistic perspective. “If you want to be a journalist, you must be willing to give up your social life as well as compromise your traditional family life. The ‘Good Book’ says that you must “Love You Neighbour as Yourself.” But to stick with journalism you must love yourself, your neighbour and the job all the same. What is also important is to have a strong support system – God, family and true friends. Trust me… a support system is needed on the days when you mess up a story and have to answer to an Adam Harris or Glenn Lall.
As nice as those two men can be, that’s how harsh they can get. I always tell my friends that Glenn Lall is one of the most unrelenting, yet benevolent human beings I have ever met. So if you want to be a journalist and work at Kaieteur News, as Scar said in Lion King, “be prepared.”
When I wrote this feature it was 2:00 in the morning, hours away from the deadline, and I was still at my desk. Gratefully, I was not alone. My two other colleagues were doing the same.
We are actually a family at Kaieteur News. I must admit, at times, when things are not going the way they should, I am the first to say “we only pretend to be a family.” But in my sober moments I meditate on the fact that we most times act like a family. Like any other family, we may not always agree with each other. We may not all be as closely knitted; but at the end of the day we know we are working towards a common goal.
Since we spend most of the moments we are awake of each day together in the office, we have come to know, understand, respect and in some cases love each other.
But more importantly, we get ‘Christmas all year round.’ That’s because Christmas is the season to be jolly, the time of year when we feel compelled to help people right?”Well this is the point where I gloat; journalists get to help people all year. We get to be part of change and in some cases, actually make the change.
I can never forget the feeling I got when the grandmother of Kenneth Prince, an ailing infant, looked me right in the eyes and said “God sent you, thanks for all you did for Kenneth.”
This was following a series of successful articles urging the public to give assistance to finance the baby’s heart surgery in Canada,
“Weeping may endure for tonight but joy comes in the morning,” were the words recited by the grateful grandmother.
So while I might not get the time to do all the things around Christmas that I would like to; I.
get to effect, see, and be a part of positive change. I get to do what I love while making “money.” I get to make my parents proud, and I get the chance to be competitive with myself. I also have the opportunity to have a firsthand look at the realities of daily life which has resulted in a greater appreciation for what God has blessed me with. And last but not least, I get to have you read my work on Christmas day.
So with all the sacrifices that I am forced to make as a journalist, will I remain in the profession?
Look out for my next year Christmas feature.
Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
LISTEN HOW JAGDEO WILL MAKE ALL GUYANESE RICH!!!
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