Your Own Beat

So how many of you have chosen what field of journalism you going to and if you are going to specialise on that particular issue? Maybe crime, financial, politics or sports? Do you know what you want to do?

I did know what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a REAL journo- hard news; no fear no favour type journalism; wont leave a stone unturned type journalism. I wanted to make sure that no one ever goes unaccountable to the law and must suffer all their misdeads. I guess that was what I thought journalism was. But I have since changed my mind.

I hate that type of journalism. I really do. It's miserable, lonley and too damn complicated and difficult to enjoy. There's hardly any sleep, hardly time for family and you are always on the witch hunt. That is not life. Then I decided to do something that I do like... Fashion.

I love fashion. I eat, breathe, sleep fashion. Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that I make sure that when it comes to fashion, I know what I'm talking about. It's something that I love, something that makes me happy. Isn't anyone's aim in life to be happy?

When I told my colleagues that I am interested in fashion journalism, I was given The Look- that look of WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING AT A SUNDAY NEWSPAPER THEN?- Well to go somewhere, you gotta go via somewhere else. And right now, the newspaper I'm working for is just that, a stepping stone where I can build myself, so people know that I can write. How many times has one heard that fashion journalists are weak, fake journalists? I say those journalists who fit that profile are those that make up stories and end up getting awards for them. Now that is fake.

The reason for this blog entry, you may ask, is that realise early what type of journalist you want to be. Life is too short to go around thinking what the people are going to say just coz you want to work for Sports Illustrated, The Times, Daily Sun or even GQ- That mag is hwre I'm going to be in a few years'time :-)- live your life and be the journalist you want to be. Life really is too short.

Right now I am hating on Thanda Mhlanga, FJP08, who is the resident fashion journalist for the Arise Cape Town Fashion Week for the Cape Argus. But hey, it's her chance to do something she loves, after all good things come to people who wait. Thanda knew what typeof journo she wants to be and it took me three years to decide that I want to be a fashion journalist. It may be 'soft', but hey if Anna Wintour is the toughest editor in the world, what's stopping me from making fashion journalism my dream. After all Anna didn't study journalism. She dropped out of school at 16. She famously said; "You either know fashion or you don't" to her father, renowned editor; Charles Wintour, former editor of the Evening Standard.

Oh and for those of you who don't know, Anna is the editor-in-chief of US VOGUE and is the single most powerful person fashion. Watched The Devil Wears Prada? She is the editor being potrayed by Meryl Streep. She is a legend.