When I first came to BU as a freshman, I thought I was going to become a psychologist. I was dead set on helping people, listening to their problems and figuring out how to solve them. Unfortunately, what I didn’t realize was how being good at science plays a crucial part in earning a psych degree.
After realizing this and regretting that I had bought a textbook for my psychology class, I needed to choose a new career path. At the same time, I applied to be a writer for The Daily Free Press, something I thought would be an enjoyable hobby.
Turns out that hobby would become a whole lot more. Being a journalist is very much like being psychologist. You hear people’s stories and you figure out how to help them with the resources you have.
Instead of having a Ph.D and prescription pad to aid others, I can now do this with a pen and a piece of paper — well, more so my laptop. When I saw that my stories could change people’s minds and bring light to situations I cared about, I knew that this was what I wanted to do.
In many ways, journalism has brought me closer to and intertwined me with feminism in ways that I don’t think would be possible without writing. For the past nine months, I’ve written about everything from sexism in the entertainment industry to body positivity to the gender pay gap.
This column has taught me to look at feminism from all different angles, including ones that I disagree with — like those who don’t believe feminism is needed. I’ve tried to be inclusive of all women and to also be understanding of the varying labels of feminism that exist.
I came into writing this column to explore more about feminism and issues regarding women because that’s what truly fuels me as not only a writer, but as a person. I love being able to discuss my opinions on the topic both with my friends and in my writing. Not to mention, it really kept me in the loop about what was happening with all issues regarding ladies.
Now, the point of this last column is not for me to boast about how passionate I am about journalism — alright, maybe just a little — but to discuss something I’ve refrained from discussing for the past nine months: how journalists write about women and for women.
I’ve noticed a lot about how the media portrays women in politics, in movies, in music, in art and everything else. This also means that I’ve read plenty of articles regarding ladies and how journalists handle difficult situations (i.e. Rolling Stone). During slower weeks, when I needed a topic to write about, I would search “women” and “feminism” to find an idea and jumpstart from there.
From what I’ve seen, I think that journalists could improve how they write about women. The media controls so much information, and they have the ability to twist this information to support whatever view they like.
If you don’t believe me, take Chris Brown, for example. He is someone who is guilty of abusing women yet still continues to have a fan base and make money from his music. This is all in part of the media deciding to save Brown from his sinking ship, writing words of praise instead of criticism.
If that isn’t enough proof, take a look at former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Back when she first tried to run for president in 2008, the media was a huge part of why she got taken out of the race. Instead of focusing on her political views, what seemed to matter ranged from the wrinkles in her face to the wrinkles in her suits.
In an age where number of clicks seems to outweigh good, fair material, I’m disappointed to see that women aren’t getting the justice they deserve when it comes to articles. I’ve read some pretty frightening articles about women, including ones that slut shame and victim blame.
As a writer, I feel responsible for this community that I partake in. I want to be able to contribute positively and share stories that will impact others and make the world we live in a better place.
As a feminist, I have the same goals — except they’re more geared toward women. I firmly believe that women should be given the chances to share their stories without judgment, and for society to create that safe place for them to express themselves. I know that stories are what will lead to change.
So, with over 20 columns written and thousands of words later, I hope that I’ve at least helped to fight a little bit of this war for equality. For me, there will never be enough to say about feminism, and I am so thrilled to have had this platform to discuss it all.
