Jess, Journalism and a dash of salt

Hi. My name is Jess, or commonly known as 'Jessticle’ to my close friends and people who generally like to annoy me. My personality can probably be compared to a ‘cartoonish’ comic: I’m colourful, love onomatopoeia, enjoy art and when I think you can see speech bubbles forming in the air. I am a Journalism student, busy completing my first year. I view the world, as my good friend Kirsten says, in a rational, realistic and logical way. Or in the words of Kirsten: “Jess … can you view the world quickly, and pass me the Rizla?”

As a young cheeping, twittering, bogging, facebooking and technologically perplexed, journalism chicken, I am inquisitive, quirky, probably a bit odd at times but generally quite a friendly person. I take a while to form my own opinions, because I like to make sure they are balanced, and are hopefully taken seriously. My friends seem to believe that I am crazy, and I always have a funny story to share with them.

Now, why am I ‘trying’ to be a journalist? I like it. Simply put. I enjoy writing, and researching, and asking questions. I am interested in the world around me, and before coming to Rhodes and living in a residence where the most important thing shown on a Television is ‘soapies’ [other wise it’s merely an ornamental evil black box], I watched the news as religiously as a clock that tells time. But, to be on TV, or write in a news paper was never my dream, I wanted to save my little town of Port Elizabeth from its musical ‘drought’, by starting up a music, or entertainment magazine for the Eastern Cape. Musicians and artists all leave PE to go to greener pastures of the bigger cities. Ironically, there’s more grass in smaller cities…and if there was a way for people to publicise there talents, they wouldn’t have to have the mindset that PE “wont get me anywhere”. So there, do not EVER mock my hometown. I will tap you on the shoulder, say ‘excuse me’ and then proceed to kick your ass.

People reading what I have to say, may at times have to take everything with a pinch of salt. I can be slightly pessimistic even when I really mean to be optimistic because dry humour and odd analogies entertain me. I am able to openly admit that I love to complain, hate girly magazines, eating residence food and walking past Pirates pizza towards the end of the month. I think that crackling is the alcohol that street sweepers scrape out of gutters after a parade, but still consume it none the less. Yes, well this is me I suppose. Take it. Leave it. Read more soon…<3

Say What You Need To Say

Blogging is a fairly new journalistic experience for me. Being a student who is always searching for a new adventure in the great abyss that we call the world, I want to share my experiences and opinions on issues to those who are willing to give me a chance and hopefully get feedback from those different to me (so pretty please who ever you are - give me a chance). Perplexed Misfits was created by a group of Rhodes University Students who want to express our individual ideas which we seem to think are not mere carbon copies of what the majority considers to be satisfactory, but rather what we regard as students to have importance in this point of our lives.

If I had to summarise how I feel at this point of my life about the world around me, I would have to use the wise words of Pam Durban, "I don't to live in paradise; this world is enough, so broken and so full of promise." The world may seem shattered, with a dog eat dog mentality, where every person is out to follow their due course no matter the costs to those around them, but that's just the tedious view in which all the pessimists like stick their heads in the sand. The world is an exciting ever changing adventure that is too broad for one person to encounter. The world is a place that booms potential, anything - in my optimistic - is possible.

Life is seemingly awe-inspiring, but as to every positive there is polar negative. In my opinion journalism is an art of seeking the truth behind the light and sharing your experience or knowledge with others around you. People view journalism as a scandalous career, but it's easily forgotten that scandal is merely one aspect of journalism. Journalism is writing that reflects thought and research into matters that reporter feels are important for their readers to know.

This why I have chosen to study journalism. It gives me a chance to find out new things abut people, places and events; whether they be good or bad and to share my experience with other people from around the world. Lets face it; we need journalists to provide us with information so that we can know what's happening in the world greater than our own. People are curious by nature and 'news' helps to partially fill our uncanny void of curiosity.

about me

I’m zandile sizani, a first year journalism student at Rhodes University. I’m an ambitious and independent young woman from the Eastern Cape I believe so much in journalism and its influence on the society. I believe in making a difference where ever I set my foot and thus I use journalism as my tool for informing the public so that they could also participate in the formation of our ideal society or country where everybody feels empowered to makes changes in their lives and in the planet  because every successful initiative started with dream and a positive attitude towards that dream and actually doing something to accomplish that goal, because we all have goals but very few people actually live up them . I’m a very hard working woman and I’ll do anything to ensure that I accomplish whatever goal I’ve set for my self. I do not give up easily because I believe that anything you want in your life is worth fighting for. I don’t use my underprivileged background as an excuse to sit at home and do nothing instead I use as an advantage to achieve more and prove to every disempowered individual that perseverance, dedication and positive attitude can take you places because everyone is entitled to success irrespective of their background. I’m also a hard worker and offcourse very friendly so don’t feel intimidated in any way to participate in our blog because it is created by very kind people who value your opinion so please don’t hesitate, express yourself because it’s your right.

journalism, the way forward

when i first came here (Rhodes university) i knew i had registered for journalism but i was clueless of what it was. i got the inspiration from one of the members of my family who is really fond of journalism and from one of my friends who's working for a community newspaper. coming from an underpriviledged society  i didn't have the resources to dig more deeper on this career so fell for it because i wasn't really good with numbers and i had no back up plan as well so i thought what's the heck.. let me give it a try. few months after i started doing the course i was uncertain whether i should continue doing it or not because it was pretty hectic but as time went by i developed passion for it.  now i'm no longer doing it just to keep my DP (duly perfomance certificate) so that i don't get expelled from the university but i see it as a platform where i could represent the poor and disadvantaged because i know exactly how it feels like to be part of a society where your voice makes no difference, where there's no proper educational facilities and more especially where you're only recognised when there's elections. i want equity it may not be financially but socially.     

Journalists or Con-artists?

Career

I am currently a first year journalism student at Rhodes University and after studying the Journalism and Media Studies course this year and learning what journalism really is have come to the conclusion that this is not a career well suited for me. With the modernisation of society, technology is playing a vital role in journalism and I do not appreciate or wish to associate with the complications of technology. This may seem extremely ironic as by posting on this blog I am using technology to express my journalistic views, however this is a requirement of my Journalism course that drives me to frustration; you could call me a hippie form the 60’s teleported into the future of technology still grasping the concept of a globally connected world.

In this new age I have come to realise that journalists have very little control over what they can write and what is published; they have very little freedom of speech. Institutions decide that which will be published and that which will remain hidden therefore I don’t see much point in becoming a journalist as I did back in my world where the point of journalism was to uncover the truth with objective writing allowing the audience to form their own opinions. To my disappointment I have learnt that objective writing is nearly impossible because it is extremely difficult to remove your own opinions and bias completely, this is just another reason why I do not wish to become a journalist and influence others to adopt my own bias (or those of the institutions) without them even noticing; back in my world this work was left to the con-artists.

As a group our aim of this blog is to provide a platform for journalistic expression and to incorporate all our unique and sometimes conflicting personalities and opinions in our posts. We also hope for our blog to serve as a platform for inspired journalists to gather new refreshing ideas and opinions on the world of journalism. My aim is to evoke responses with my writing and part take in discussions and debates with others who have their own opinions.

I am extremely happy that I have found myself learning about this world of journalism because now it is clear in my head that I do not have what it takes to become a journalist, I have never been one to keep up to date with new innovations and I certainly do not wish to pounce on the unsuspected reader and influence their thoughts with my inability to remove my bias or escape the restrictions of news institutions. I’m just glad to finally see the elimination of my choice of career has begun.

Influences in my indecisiveness

The person that influenced me in journalism so far is my reporting partner and friend Francis Hweshe at the Cape Argus. The first story we went out on together was about a Zimbabwean child who had died due to malnutrition in a rural town outside Cape Town. Being forced to place yourself in the shoes of these suffering people changed my perspective of living completely. To be a journalist is to expeience the lives of other people and to tell the world about it, but sometimes these experiences leave a mark that wound you as a person. Francis had so much ardour and commited himself entirelt to every story. The week we spent together had a great influence in me wanting to be a journalist, but i dont think I am 'hard' enough of a person to deal with the daily challenges. Fine if I overcome this NOT tough enough aspect of journalism I still dnt totally think it is for me. The influences that caused me to doubt journalism as a career was that of other journalists I have come across in the newsroom. They had no motivation for what they did other than the editor down their throat for deadline - to them writing a story was just a job that paid the rent. I really dont want to end up like that... this is why I still question journalism as a caeer - well actually why I still sit and question most things in my life.

Journalism to be or not to be ?

After studying journalism and media for roughly eight months now, my perceptions of what a journalist really is have completely changed. Journalism appeared as a career that was simple and straight forward - finding a story, writing about it and sending it to the printing press. Now I discovered it's that plus a hell of a lot more. After job shadowing at the Cape Argus for a week and getting the chance to experience what it is truly like to be a journalist - including a journalists diet of caffeine and cigarettes, I realised that most journalists are so passionate about what they do to the point where they will do anything to get the story. I have always wanted a burning passion towards something, I finally found it when my first article was published for the world to read. Journalism is not the most appealing job in the world, now that I have a grip of the nitty gritty stuff in journalism I still doubt whether journalism is my true calling even though I experienced a few sparks of passion. I know I got to hurry up and make a decision.