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Putting me out there, Rozanne Forword

Rozanne Forword

Hello to all those aspiring journalists, passionate writers and free thinkers.
My name is Rozanne, Rozie for short, and I am a first year journalism student at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa. I am currently reading Confessions Of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins and my favourite author is C.S Lewis. I am crazy about drama, nature, old movies and most importantly writing and sharing my ideas of the world with other people.
The people who started this blog with me are also fellow journalism students and together we decided that we wanted our blog to be inspirational, controversial and edgy. We want people to feel they can comment on whatever they like and share their opinions as much as possible. We want to learn from you as much as we want you to be inspired by what we have to say.
I feel that too much of what we learn about the world is edited and cut by news broadcasters and editors of newspapers. As we have learnt in our course of journalism this year, these journalists who are responsible for what we see and hear in the media about worldly events, are often bribed and ordered to reveal to the public only what certain elite people would like us to see. It is our job as upcoming journalist to literally “write” the wrongs of these journalists.
I want to share knowledge that is not revealed to the public for certain, secretive reasons and I want people to share their own stories with me. I want to inform people of the corruption and destruction going on in the world as things cannot change if we don’t know the truth yet.
I love life as a journalism student and I hope to inspire people to share my journalism views. To be a journalist means to write the truth. My main aim for starting this blog is to allow people to speak freely and hopefully to produce a following of journalists and free thinkers who will make a stand with me to stop the evolution of journalists who write and say only what they are told. I believe in a new breed of journalists, ones that let their voices and opinions be heard.

Maybe I'll Get Famous

By Ayanda Mhlanga
I like writing stories, the made up type that don’t need much verification that make the reader want to smile, or cry or jump up in excitement. I do not see how this would pose too much of a problem if I am to become a journalist; these days it seems I would only have to reconstruct press releases, wait for people to phone in and send a few emails to survive in this line of profession, I’ve learnt that you need not leave the office in the construction of a newspaper except perhaps to get the pretty pictures that will shock the consumers into purchasing that particular newspaper, for the most part I could probably sit by the phone and write stories that push unfortunate ideologies all day.

Now that’s precisely my problem with the system, it is warped. I feel there is so much left unsaid, and a few too many things left unseen, no one sees the moonwalking bear. I used to be optimistic or naive and think I, or any person really, had the power to change it all, but as the days go on, the course (Journalism 1) progresses, and my years grow nearer to their closing I tend to lose hope; now I’d just be happy if everyone was aware of what’s going on and trying to make their own decisions.

I, myself, am really keen on feature journalism because it allows one to dig a bit deeper and express a bit more love, features are a bit more colourful and a lot more fun, and I also feel it is a lot less cutthroat than hard news; I struggle with cutthroat. I also enjoy magazine journalism, but not the fluffy ‘how-to’ side, I like interesting literature that challenges the reader, the piece of literature that challenges me most would have to be my Bible and I don’t plan to match that. Just something to brighten up someone’s day or make them think about aspects of life a bit more, things that record life and in turn make life a bit more interesting.
The wonderful ladies who are co-authoring this blog with me seem to be on round about the same page as me on this, and seem really excited about changing perspectives and questioning the status quo, which is great because we are young and are hence allowed to have foolish ambitions and sometimes goals set by such ambitions are met and sometimes they aren’t, but a girl can dream.

I’m talking about when one doesn’t merely want to survive in the journalism profession, but to shine. And maybe I’ll get famous as the girl who dared to change the system, or maybe I won’t.

Finding thrill in the mundane

By Jessica Kriedemann

I’ve always known that I wanted to be here and be here doing this. I don’t think you’d ever say so though if you met me. I don’t wake up every day with an urge to read my daily newspaper and interviews and debates make my heart drop to my toes nearly every time I have to do them. It’s the creativity and diversity of Journalism that has called me and my love for anything exciting. This course, this career is my challenge. I hope I’m hardcore enough.

During these last eight months something has changed. My confidence has grown and I have become more opinionated. Somehow, the need to say what’s sitting in my throat is no longer simply swallowed. Learning what you stand for and how much you’re willing to scrap to fight for it is irrevocable. Racism has been a big theme this year and with a more astute eye, lingering prejudices in our country infuriate me even more.

I have my thoughts on politics and our country, everyone has to now, but the role of the outspoken political journalist is not necessarily the road I want to take. I know I want to specialise in design and be able to get creative, but being confined to one room scares me. Out in the open and with people is a must. Sociable and extroverted, I want to be where the vibe is. I’m just not sure what type of vibe that is yet. Am I supposed to?

People interest me and when our lecturer told us that, “everyone has a story”, I knew I somehow wanted to be the person to find those stories in the most mundane people and perhaps put them through a medium which is fresh and different. It’s all about relating, normally music says it all. If we can relate to each other’s experience then we’re never alone.

Writing about arts and entertainment, the buzz of the night life and the venture from lecture to lecture, from reading to reading, during the day. Personal experiences and opinions on matters that burst my bubble, and as always, proudly

South African.

(369 words)

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Photo title: Yesterday's lunch.
Taken by Sarita, 26/09/09

This is my journey. Join me.

By Sarita Pillay


“So”, she said to the faceless internet users, “I’ll pretend that you care about who I am and I’ll write with all the wit, astuteness and honesty I can muster and perhaps, just perhaps, you’ll read.”

My first writings entered into competitions in primary school were usually of a political nature. Indeed, primary school and politics in the same sentence. A lot of what I wrote was about racism and my own identity issues.

Upon the word ‘racism’, she heard a groan, occurring especially loudly from the corner of the internet universe populated by a rare breed of human, the Rhodes Journalism student. She shrugged this off, typing with ferocity, passion and indifference alike to an ANC Youth League member pledging their support to Julius Malema.

Politics, South Africa and identity still seem to dominate a lot of what I think and write about. This interest-bubble has now expanded to include environmental and human-rights issues. My opinions tend to be well thought out and provoked by what I believe, read and hear. I believe what I like and I read what I like, but I don’t always hear what I like. Often, it’s these dinner table discussions and snippets of corridor conversation which evoke a passionate piece of writing.

She stopped for a moment. She was about to write about the fact that she is objective, but now, after having survived almost 8 months of first-year Journalism at University, she realises objectivity is a naïve concept.

I used to be incredibly pessimistic about journalism in South Africa, until I discovered that that which is mainstream is not necessarily quality and that which is alternative is not necessarily obscure. I’m still not sure as to whether journalism is definitely the right path for me. I’m struck by the fact that journalists are spectators not participants. It bothers me that I may be in a position in my career where I cannot help but only watch. I take encouragement however, from the fact that something I write may spark a greater awareness of an issue and, perhaps, social change.

Somebody called her an idealist once. Some people call her a neo-hippy. One person said she should consider a career in politics. Another claimed that she’s naïve and likely to be dismayed by the world’s evils. She likes to think of herself as a Warrior of Light, as Paulo Coelho would say. She uses writing and reading as a means of understanding herself and this place they call earth.

This is my journey, as an individual and as a wannabe journalist. I learn through my writing about the stubbornness of humankind and the beauty of a purple-tinged sunset. Join me on this journey.

(453 words)