Lesson 5.00: Intro to the Writing Process

      Writing in general is something that helps the world thrive.  You read and write words every day, without even realizing it sometimes.  Writing in general is very important for not only the news and media, but for ordinary people as well.  It helps us communicate messages and learn about subjects of interest.  This is why writing and reading are the most important subjects in grade school and one of the first things that you learn.  My impression of the written word is that it is very useful, but can also be taken for granted or even abused in the sense that people use it for the wrong reasons.  Throughout history, the use of the written word has evolved into what it is today, an aspect of our lives that we basically can’t live without and can’t necessarily avoid.  Personally, writing, especially creative writing has a special place in my heart because it is a way that I can express myself.  I feel that writing is what can help me realize my fullest potential when it comes to academics and much more. 

            While writing impartially can be one of the most challenging obstacles that journalists and writers have to overcome, it is possible.  Credible news reporting is when you use what you know and the information from your sources to include impartial or objective insight into your news report.  This type of reporting does not include opinion; rather it helps the audience formulate their own opinions about certain subjects of matter and importance.  When opinion is not included, the audience can think for themselves instead of having someone express their true opinion.  A natural human-being instinct, however, would be to express as much of your true thoughts as possible so you can get people to agree with you.  This might be acceptable for an editorial or a critic; it is not used for news and a lot of the media. 

            I believe that if you are a truly experienced and capable news reporter, you will be able to report the news without expressing your thoughts, but sometimes reporters that are newer in the field have trouble keeping that balance.  Human beings have mastered the art of remaining impartial in their work and understand that people will appreciate their work more if it is objective reporting.  There are several tools and techniques that help journalists write accurate and credible reporting today, which is why today it is very rare to see opinion-based news mixed with the true facts.