No one said journalism was easy

By Liz Tjaden

There are a few things that journalism students can’t learn from a text book or in the classroom. Britney McIntosh and Edward Matthews from the University of Kentucky found that out the hard way. The two were in St. Paul for the Republican National Convention, taking pictures of an anti-war march downtown.

When the protest took a violent turn the police corralled about 50 people into an empty parking lot and arrested them all. Even the innocent onlookers and media personnel.

In class, we have been trying to figure out what exactly defines a journalist and if we, personally, have any of the characteristic traits that a successful journalist would most likely have. Maybe we should add “the willingness to be thrown in jail, if necessary” to the list. Journalism isn’t also about just sitting at a computer all day and writing stories about kitties and rainbows. Sometimes, getting your hands dirty is exactly what needs to be done in order to get the story out. Even if that means putting yourself in situations you normally wouldn’t do and stepping outside of your comfort zone.

I think Matthews had a great quote when he said, “To be a good photojournalist, you have to practice what you’re doing and put yourself in difficult situations. We thought this was a good opportunity to get thrown into the mix.”