My daily dose of internet comes from journalism. If deprived of quality news, I may as well be deprived of quality life. Fortunately, journalists work around the clock to deliver quality news right to our screens—thank you, NPR and BBC for your in-depth reporting and reliable media. With this increasingly popular option of digital news, accessing the media has become easier than ever, right? Maybe in a picture-perfect world. I say this with a hint of skepticism because though we’re fed an overwhelming amount of sensational news daily, there are millions out there in perilous democracies struggling to access quality journalism, let alone have a voice in the media. Over the years as a student journalist, I have found clarity and truth in the bigger picture—the perils of a dying free press. Thank you to journalism—a medium for creativity, inspiration, entertainment, and storytelling.

From cautionary editorials on plastics in sushi to heartbreaking narratives shared by political prisoners, The New York Times embodies a balanced medium, from where I derive much of my inspiration and knowledge. Every time I land on the opinion page, my eyes scan riveting titles, “The Secret to Living to 103”, and gripping blurbs, such as “Demands for unity actually tear us apart”—nothing stops my itching curiosity to learn more about it! Their guest essays humanize the conflicts of so many world issues, including wars and the fight for democracy. The featured photos depicting the labor of workers and the plight of displaced civilians are what spring the default page into reality. Their annual student editorial competitions and letters to the editor instill a sense of hope in me that one day I might have a chance at publishing an essay on their website—and be heard. Thank you, The New York Times, for recognizing our potential and worth as students and being the epitome of professional journalism.

Aside from inspiration, journalism is what I must and will appreciate for the rest of my life. Knowing well the perils and threats to a free press, I’ve become more aware and appreciative of my First Amendment rights and how if not exercised properly, I might miss a grand opportunity to make my voice and others known. Thank you, The Arcadia Quill. You have enabled me to find solace and confidence in my role as a student journalist to share my quirky takes on the latest trends and shed light on human rights issues. 

Needless to say, it may sound too good to be true for journalism to be a privilege for all. If you’re lucky enough, you might be granted your rights of press, where democracy still remains. But for those who don’t and still go to great lengths to exercise such rights, I appreciate and praise those brave journalists who travel to nations in crisis to report and broadcast on life-threatening situations. Journalists live a life of jeopardy, sacrificing their life for reliable news. They tell the stories of others—of young, courageous activists abroad demonstrating for abortion access and the women in Iran advocating for the right to personal choice. Yet their selfless acts of resistance, the journalists included, have resulted in their detainment, or even worse execution. 

I am incredibly outraged that First Amendment rights aren’t a universal privilege. It pains me to hear that even my own people in Myanmar are struggling for a voice and that young journalists my age across the globe are being detained for simply expressing themselves to restore justice. Although I have nothing of any power to remediate the issue, my self-awareness and my appreciation of the rights I’ve been given since birth—the ability to speak out for others—are the only ways I can advocate for the universality of a free press. 

Continuing my pathway through journalism is the only way I can fully appreciate the power of the press and express solidarity with my own people and those who continue their fight for self-expression and assembly abroad. No matter where life takes me, I will continue to use my voice to every advantage to give the silenced a story to tell and the deprived communities a collective say in their plights. One day, if I get the world to hear what I have to tell it, I will remind them journalism is the most beautiful gift that a world and its people can ever receive.

Photo courtesy of PEXELS.COM