The Importance of Journalists in today’s culture.

Lack of education and awareness is where the root of many global issues lie. Misinformation which is spread to the masses encourages ignorance and makes room for the growth of stigma, discrimination, racism and prejudice in our world. It is my sincerest belief that greed paired with money is the root of all evil. In a capitalist society, we are taught from a young age that success, prosperity and happiness can only be determined by the number of figures in your bank account. With this inherent love of money, comes the lack of attention paid to serious issues plaguing our world right before our eyes. Climate change, widespread poverty, failing education systems and lack of affordable healthcare are just a few of the global issues that fall by the wayside in wake of avarice possessed by the wealthy who control our society. As journalists, it is our job to spread news pertaining to issues that affect each one of us as members of society. We can only remain dormant for so long before the consequences of our actions catch up with us. It is a sincere lack of empathy possessed by the average individual that prevents the amelioration of these pertinent problems experienced by society. As an American, issues regarding affordable healthcare remain at the forefront of my mind. At age 26, I will be responsible for finding not only my own healthcare plan, but dental insurance as well. I consider myself lucky enough to even have healthcare to begin with. Statistics show that at the end of 2018, over 3 million American citizens are without health insurance. The number is only growing under the current government administration and it appears little is being done to reduce this grave number. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), otherwise known as Obamacare, was enacted in early spring of 2010 and led to increased health insurance coverage by extending Medicaid coverage to several low-income individuals, among many other things. To put ACAs successes into perspective, the number of uninsured nonelderly Americans decreased from over 44 million in 2013, to below 27 million in 2016. Upon Trump’s inauguration as the 45^th president of the United States, this triumph for providing the average citizen with affordable care act was disastrously reversed. It is my sincere belief that the average citizen becomes complacent if the issue at hand is not affecting them directly. As a society, we must encourage a stronger global mindset that encourages awareness of problems happening abroad and in our own backyards. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts and as people inhabiting the same planet, we must work together to create a society where all living beings mutually benefit from all that the world has to offer. This includes physical and mental health, food to eat, roofs over our heads and the hope of living to see another day. Journalists are the connecting force between what’s happening in the world and what’s happening in individual everyday life. Most of society places a sacred trust in us to deliver the truth in an unbiased, unfiltered fashion. As an aspiring professional journalist, I hope to give the real and honest accounts of the stories I report, and be the purveyor of truth to the public.