The Curious Case Of...

"Whatever you do, don't ever lose your curiosity."

That was some advice given by Jim Schoettler, a reporter for "The Florida Times-Union". In class, we had the opportunity to watch a video of Schoettler giving a guest-lecture for a previous class of my professor's. It was interesting to listen to a veteran reporter talk about some of the experiences he had and the process that he went through to write a story.

I agree with him that a natural tendency towards curiosity is helpful for a journalist and/or reporter. It is often this trait that allows a reporter to shed light on something that may have been hidden. Of course, there is always the risk that the light won't uncover something that people want to see. In fact, it may be down right disturbing. ...

It's possible that thought crossed Schoettler's mind when he was reporting on "The White House Boys" and working with photographer/videographer, Jon Fletcher, to develop his video about the torture that the boys endured at the Florida Industrial School for Boys in the 1950s. However, whether you believe that the purpose of journalism is to hold a mirror up to society or to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted, there are times that the truth uncovered will not always be pretty or easy to tolerate.

That's one of the paradoxes of curiosity, I suppose; and something that we all run into in life. We ask questions because we wander about something. Sometimes what we learn can be beneficial or fascinating (you can get moisture out of a cell phone by leaving it overnight in a bag of rice?! Really!), and sometimes it can be scary or hurtful, despite the fact that it may be needed. Sort of like re-breaking the nose that is crooked from a childhood fall in order to allow the individual to breath through it again.

I guess the risk (or benefit, depending on your perspective) of doing this as a journalist is that the implications can be so much bigger than just you or a couple people in your life. The light that a journalist gives has the potential to impact entire communities or society as a whole, as well as an individual. It can be a sobering task to consider.

Of course, in the end, what people do with that information and the light that is shed is beyond the reporter's control. ...