Optimism, humility and pride are journalism’s lessons

If you ever want a good dose of humility, try journalism.

Right behind police officers and… If you ever want a good dose of humility, try journalism.

Right behind police officers and third-world dictators in the race for occupations that people are too hard on, members of the media live with the constant knowledge that, somehow, somewhere, they are pissing someone off. And they’ll hear about it. Soon.

Here at The Pitt News, we’re no different. A quick browse through any of our online feedback forums will show you that it is not uncommon for readers to take umbrage with our journalistic decisions. In fact, if you’re reading this column, you will most likely be angry with The Pitt News sometime in the near future.

You might ask, what recourse do I have? What can I do beyond complain in my 10 a.m. class and post the occasional scathing feedback?

Behold, good people of Pitt, I give to thee an answer to thy prayers.

Talk to me.

And you didn’t believe me when I told you we’d make you angry in the near future.

In all seriousness, though, I mean it. Come up here to 434 William Pitt Union and talk to me. I have office hours – which are sort of unnecessary because I live in the office, against Pitt’s housing guidelines – and I actually will listen if you have anything at all to say about the paper, or anything else, for that matter. I probably won’t be able to help much if you have problems with something other than the paper, but I’m working on a psych degree, so you can give it a shot.

In an organization that experiences 100 percent turnover every four years – give or take a couple semesters – it should go without saying that we try to get better with every issue and that every year is going to have a different feel than the last. I’ve learned a lot over the summer, and I know that it’s nothing compared to what I have to learn in the months to come. I’ve learned enough not to make promises I can’t keep, though, so I’ll stick to the simple one which is more important than any other: I’ll listen.

We’re a newspaper for Pitt and Pitt students, and if we’re not listening to them, then there’s honestly no point in us being around. The way we get better is through you. With every issue, our paper should become more relevant to the people who matter, and the people who matter are the readers.

I think it’s a common misconception about Pittsburghers and Pitt students that all they do is complain. I’ve actually found many people here to be some of the most appreciative I’ve come across; there’s just little tolerance for slacking. We take this paper very seriously. Some – like my ex-girlfriends – would probably say, too seriously. And we desperately want it to be the best it can be.

Right now, you might be wondering two things: Why did anyone give this guy a job when he confesses to not knowing everything, and why on earth would he take a job in which he invites 30,000 people to yell at him personally?

To answer the former is easy. I have a long, hyphenated last name that sounds very impressive to people who call me.

To answer the latter, all I can say is that the best memories I have of last year, when I was the News Editor, are all centered on the people I worked with, and I don’t limit that to my staff. Every complaint I got, every angry phone call or visit to the news desk, was an opportunity to show someone this organization in which I take such pride. There’s no feeling like believing in something – a team, a person, a newspaper – and seeing the look on someone else’s face when they respect that belief, even if they don’t share it.

The other thing I got was the opportunity to get to know some of the readers, who, I’ve found, are often incredibly interesting and impressive people. Meeting interesting people who care about what we print reminds us why we do this, and it makes us think, for a moment, just maybe, we’re making a difference.

If you ever want a good dose of optimism, try journalism.