What Purpose Does it Serve in Your Life?

Journalism keeps me up to date on what is going on both in the world and in my community. While living in Guatemala, my family and I came across a New York Times article entitled: “Guatemala Regains Control of Notorious Prison.” It was an article about a prison, only 15 minutes from our home, that the government had lost control of. They stormed the facility and were shocked by what they discovered: “Pool halls, brothels, isolation chambers, and computer centers, all run by some of Guatemala's most feared convicts.” This happened practically outside of my neighborhood and we did not know about it. Shockingly, there was no talk about it at school, church, or any place else for that matter (I suppose that is a consequence of living in a corrupt country where violence is not news). Had it not been for journalism across the continent, we would not have known about this danger affecting the community. Though this is an extreme example and may not relate so dramatically to those who live in the United States, it still applies. As a college student living in Utah, I am able to keep up with news on campus, in the community, of my home town in Chesapeake, Virginia, and I am even able to keep track of what is going on in Guatemala. This is all thanks to journalism.