Disservice

This is a series of half-page essays done for an AP English class. (2 of 4)

Fake news. Fake news… Fake news? Fake news is a disservice. A disservice to those on the front lines. Those battling. Fighting, questioning, seeking. Those journalists battling on the front lines.

American Journalist imprisoned in Iran, fighting.

Two journalists among 20 killed in Kabul blasts, questioning.

Reuters reporters jailed for seven years in Myanmar, seeking.

Everyone wants to know who wrote the New York Times opinion. Was it Mike Pence, John Kelly, a deputy, an aide, or was it fake news? No one has stopped to think about the New York Times. The Times took a massive risk to preserve the journalistic integrity of this country and bring the truth to the American people. Everyday, journalists put their lives at risk to report the truth to the people. When certain individuals claim fake news simply because they disagree, we have to stand up and face that. Real journalism is what keeps this country running, what keeps the world running. I am a journalist. My work doesn’t mean life or death or revolution or oppression. I write opinionated pieces on a low-profile blog, I run a newspaper for my Sunday school, and I report on the varsity soccer team. I am by no means established or in high demand, but I am a journalist. We are journalists, and we are fed up. Don’t discount our hard work. When we tell the truth, when we arrive with groundbreaking information, and most of all when we put our lives on the line. This is real news. Real news…. Real news? Real news is a privilege.