Journalists aren’t supposed to be activists. But one of
the reasons I chose to write news for the Daily Bruin was because I
believed that reporters do fulfill some sort of activist role.
As journalists, we’re taught to be objective. Because of
our commitment to presenting news that is fair and balanced, we
even have to present ourselves as apolitical at times, so that the
public will believe that our writing isn’t fueled by an
agenda. For me, staying out of rallies, protests and the like has
sometimes been difficult, and I respect the efforts of those
working for the Daily Bruin who do the same, even though we are all
still budding journalists who are just students like everyone else
on campus.
But, although as a reporter I must practice objectivity in my
writing, reporting and even the way I live my life, under the
surface of this non-political, non-partisan job is an underlying
quality of activism. Journalism to me is in fact bigger than
activism ““ it is what I like to call
“˜actionism.’
I might be sitting in my office for most of the day, making
phone calls or typing up drafts, but the act of composing a
cohesive news article that will get the attention of thousands just
makes much more sense to me than the effectiveness of activists who
hold up signs at rallies or sign the umpteenth petition.
Whenever I told non-journalists at UCLA my thoughts about
reporters being “˜actionists,’ I received a mess of
criticism. The backlash came especially from feminist activists who
criticized what I do as editor-in-chief of Fem Newsmagazine. To me,
Fem has always been news with a focus on women’s issues, not
a quarterly rant-and-rave propaganda publication. So, while I
maintained a news focus for the magazine, I received criticism from
feminists on campus who didn’t agree that journalism was a
form of activism and even denounced my personal life when I
didn’t attend public anti-war or pro-abortion marches,
speak-outs and rallies. I do think that large gatherings can catch
the eye of influential government leaders, but I see much more
value in the “˜actionism’ of journalism: reporters
inform, discuss, relate, and let the voices of minorities, the
marginalized and average everyday people be heard.
My goal in practicing “˜actionism’ is not to get you
to agree with me, as I still try to maintain the ethics of an
objective reporter. The power of “˜actionism’ lies in
the capacity of news writing to inform and then to inspire you to
form your own opinion on the matter.
Journalists are not unilateral, cold-blooded creatures. We
don’t all operate by the same rules as Jayson Blair to
produce sensationalist stories that are ultimately false at the
center. Many of us are “˜actionists’ at heart.
Tsai was a Daily Bruin Viewpoint columnist during spring
quarter 2001, a News contributor from Jan. 2002 to Jan. 2003 and
editor in chief of Fem Newsmagazine for the 2002-2003
year.