I for some reason felt led to discuss my career choice this week… still unsure why, but maybe that will be revealed to me at a later time.  

I should also say up front that I absolutely love what I do. Most of the time I do not consider it work at all. Yes, of course, there are times when it is stressful and anxiety-ridden, but that comes with the territory.  

As a journalist, I love the fast pace of things. I love sharing stories that inspire others. I enjoy researching and I jump at every opportunity I have to do an investigative piece. I thoroughly enjoy the adrenaline rush when attempting to be the first to break an important story.  

I believe the role I play is an important one and most of the time is well received and appreciated. Journalists are responsible for reporting objectively. Our work helps to keep the public informed. While we strive to report in a completely unbiased manner, the news we share can affect reader’s opinions on certain subjects, and on a larger platform can also affect the safety and ethics of a community as a whole.  

While there are many positives to this job, there are definitely downfalls, as well… a few of which I have become more familiar with over the years.  

First of all, it is extremely competitive. Most writers, like myself, must start their careers in a different position just to get their foot in the door and have the opportunity to work their way up the ladder. When you finally land the position, new journalists are not allowed to choose their own stories most of the time and you must keep working up that ladder to finally get yourself in a position where you have the freedom to make those decisions eventually.  

It is also very demanding. There are strict deadlines that must be met. Sometimes you must travel a lot to cover certain events that can also take place at any time of day or night, weekday or weekend. And there is always that nagging pressure to come up with new and exciting pitches and keep up with everything that is happening at all times.  

But the biggest thing for me is the exposure. Yes, exposure can be a good thing if you are trying to build a reputation as a journalist, but on the flip side of that it can also make you a target. Publishing a controversial piece can often result in backlash and negative comments. Believe me, I have received my fair share.  

It can also suck at times, to walk up to a group of people that are having a conversation and suddenly everyone stops talking because they are afraid to say something that might get turned into a story. I can’t tell you how many times in my career I have had people say, “don’t report on this” or “don’t flip this into a story.”

I have even had people that I considered to be friends become angry with me over a story I have written about that maybe they did not agree with or reflect their personal opinion on certain matters.  

Not to mention the commonly used phrase “fake news,” which completely undermines the credibility of legitimate and quality news sources.  

It all sounds kind of bleak doesn’t it, but then you write that one story that brings the community together to act on an important issue or inspires others to make a difference or exposes injustices or amplifies voices that would otherwise be left unheard. That’s what makes it all worthwhile and what drives me to continue getting up every day and doing it again. 

(Paige Gurgainers is a mom of three girls, digital journalist for Webster Parish Journal and publisher of Bienville Parish Journal and Claiborne Parish Journal.)