I consider myself lucky in that I was a kid who, at a young age, discovered what I wanted to be. I went through the typical phases that any child experiences: veterinarian, fashion designer, lawyer, or the person that gets to swim with the dolphins at the aquarium. By the time I hit middle school I had it narrowed down: I had to be writing. From there I experienced the phases of fiction writing, poetry, and finally, journalism. I had happened upon the exact combination of creativity and research that I wanted in a job.

I’d always had a passion for writing, and now I’d discovered an outlet. Not only did I see journalism as a way of expression, but also as an escape – both metaphorically and literally. I have always seen writing as a way of bringing myself out of reality. It’s a temporary escape from whatever is going on in your life at that moment. I enjoyed the idea of journalism as a career because it could physically help me escape. I have always liked the idea of having a job that takes me around the world, never letting me face the eerie thought of “settling down.”

There are few professions that are more globally-focused than journalism. We can hear, almost instantly, that there has been an attack at a rock concert in Paris, or Google in seconds what exactly is going on with the Syrian Refugee crisis. Journalism has the power to instantaneously turn a global situation into something personal.

There are rumors whirling around that journalism is a “dying profession.” Every conversation I’ve had during a holiday or a family gathering for the last year or two has gone something like this: “How’s the college process going?” Followed by, “What are you thinking of majoring in?” I would then respond with the dreaded “journalism.” My more polite family members would smile with a look of cringe beneath their eyes.  While, some of my more expressive relatives would shoot back with, “You know that’s a dying art, right?” Or of course, “You’re not going to make any money with that.” And the classiest of all responses, “I guess you’ll just have to marry rich!” I have tried to not let these opinions sway me because I strongly believe that the tragic death of journalism is not in the near future.

As with anything, the tactics of journalism have, and will, change over time. Every profession has been forced to evolve with advancements in technology and society. (Note: Even the Pope has a Twitter account now.) Being a journalist no longer consists of monotonously cutting and glueing pages from a typewriter. It no longer consists of filing through thousands of sheets of paper in manila folders to find what you’re looking for. Soon journalism may not consist of newspapers at all, but that doesn’t mean it’s dead. It’s simply evolving and being challenged everyday. In the age of instant gratification, the world of journalism has to keep up. The moment a bomb goes off, or a celebrity has a baby, journalists are scurrying around producing research and evidence to provide a story.

The more impatient our society becomes, the more we need the art of journalism. Without it, there would be no one informing us instantly about our world.

The transition of journalism from print media to the internet begs the question, how will journalists continue to make money? Without people purchasing newspapers or magazines, how will the news networks make a steady income? The answer is simple, even if you still believe that journalism is dying, there is one thing that is immortal: advertisements. The journalism industry will forever be fueled by the companies that pay big money to have their logo next to the article about Kim Kardashian’s newest child or a terrorist attack somewhere in the world. So fear not, the lack of physical paper is not going to hinder the powers of journalism.

  Journalism is our current-day carrier pigeon. When a bird was the quickest way to communicate long distance, there were often serious mishaps; if the message didn’t get to its recipient in time, or at all, there would be repercussions. In simple terms, without journalism we would all be a 16th century Englishmen awaiting a message that never shows. I strongly believe that I can argue with anyone who tries to tell me that the fundamental bond between our miniscule lives and the rest of the world is “dying.” Until people no longer care about anything except what’s directly in front of them, journalism will be indispensible.

So, dear anonymous family member, to answer your question, journalism is indeed not dead, and I hope you now understand why I’m ready to commit my life – and college tuition – towards it.