I told myself that I would never be a blogger.

I told myself that I would never be a blogger. That I would never be sucked into the forever changing array of social media, that is Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr, Blogger - the list goes on! I have however, entered the world of Facebook, of course only to ensure that I am not a complete social outcast. Yet here I am formulating my first ever blog post (that is the correct terminology right?) To be honest, it's not quite as scarey as I had imagined it to be since my first Introduction to Journalism and Communication lecture, when Dr Redman first broke the news to me - not only would I need to become a Blogger but I would need to become a Tweeter too.

Despite my not so welcome reception to this news, it was this initial lecture which confirmed to me that I was pursuing the right degree, the words 'Journalism is the first rough draft of History' were clearly printed on the first PPT slide. This statement resonated with me so strongly and not only excited me for what was to come but inspired me also. It made me think of the imperative and honourable part many journalists have played within history and that to be a journalist doesn't have to simply mean you're a good gossiper. There are quality journalists and forms of journalism out there that emulate the Australian Journalists Assocation's code of ethics which are; honesty, fairness, independence and respect for the rights of others.   

By the time my second lecture came around I was intrigued as to what I was going to take from it and also what Dr Redman would bring to the table - and he brought Jelly Belly jelly beans! Yes, this was definitely the course for me! As I bit into a buttery popcorn flavoured jelly bean all I could think was how do they do it? So since I wasted half the lecture pondering these oh so important, life changing questions, I decided to go home and properly absorb the weekly readings. As I delved further into an article by Bradshaw and Rohumaa, which was discussing the art of blogging, I began to realise the unprecidented influece and power of the blog. On page 87 they outline how in the 2007 Myanmaar protests journalists were not allowed into the country, however it was through blogging and other social media outlets that the truth about Myanmaar, including the repression of it's people, was made public to the rest of the world. Also in 2007, blogs ranked higher than the New York Times for the top five news stories of the year. This made me realise that while I don't have to completely let go of my old fashioned love of print, I do need to embrace this exciting new era of Blogging. Besides, even if I get lost and confused I can always watch a handy 'How To' clip on youtube or even send out a Tweet?!