Reflection 4: Personal Growth and Personal Interactions

A professor in one of my major subjects this semester brought up to the class this question: would you work for money?

Slightly lagging behind the speed of sound came my answer: yes. I need to earn money in order for me to survive.

It’s sad, but money wasn’t really the reason I first came to this university. I came to UP to learn. They say that when you are young (and not aware of the factors that govern man’s existence on earth) you tend to be more idealistic about things. But now, I saw the need for me to really work after graduation; to work for money.

Journalism isn’t a lucrative job. Well at least for those practicing ethical and professional journalism. And if I’m going to practice journalism, I’m going to do it just the way Prof. Luis Teodoro wanted his students to practice it.

Before, I imagine myself writing investigative reports and exposing graft and corruption in the government. I wanted to give service to the people. That should be the primary goal of those practicing this profession. But now, I have to let my sense of duty to my family and to myself come before my sense of duty to my country and countrymen.

I’m not saying that I’m going to practice journalism the way some “pocket-heavy journalists” do today. That’s against my principles. I don’t want to be in some politicians’ or some drug lords’ payroll. I don’t want to cause anybody unnecessary pain just because of my personal interest. And I would never compromise my integrity. I know that if I do the things some media practitioners do, I’ll have money more than enough to pay for my basic needs. But I know I wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly at night.

The media is a field of competition. The probability of me getting into the mainstream is 10%. There are so many mass communication graduates in the Philippines. There are a lot of people taking courses under this field because it doesn’t involve algebra and trigonometry, well, at least that’s the way I see it. Or maybe some see it as a stepping stone to the glamorous life of showbizness. But the catch is, I’m not sure if I’ll land a journalism job once I’m out of the university, even if I’m a UP graduate.

The tentative plan I have is to apply for a call center job, again. If given a chance, I would never want to experience working in that kind of environment again. Even though this business helps our economy a lot, it’s actually a wasteland for so many of our youth. So many talents and skills are left to rust in yard long cubicles; they spend almost the whole of their waking hours reciting to people they don’t know, the one-liners of the movie called CSR. But I’m left with no choice. I just hope that someday I’ll be able to share to other people things I‘ve learned in UP.