Finding a niche.
I struggled with finding a niche in journalism, the problem was that I was under an odd impression that it wasn’t okay for me to write across a number of topics. I am the go to person for trivia, so I’m usually well versed in a variety of topics. This gives me a large span of topics that I can knowledgeably cover but I thought that I could benefit from choosing one area and sticking to that.
I halfway listened to the critics who told me that I should choose one niche instead of going with what I felt passion for.
I took in these comments and I processed them with respect trying to understand how they perceived journalism itself. Journalism is story telling and doing so in a way that people learn from. If there is no passion in what is being written I feel that a huge injustice is occurring.
If the writer isn’t interested in the topic or intrigued, chances are the reader won’t be either. No one wants to read or listen to a boring, dry story.
I feel that I bring something truly unique to this field and that is not only passion (because there is passion everywhere, thank goodness) but I bring genuine creativity and I can pull readers/listeners in with strong expressions within interpretations of stories that are deeper than the surface level. I dig deep, and I dig honestly. I give my all and I can not be outworked when it comes to my passions.
I have ambitions that exceed others, and this is meant in the most honest way. I value the power of positivity and giving back to others. I view the world in a way that makes me want to provide for communities large and small which is why I have done so many community service projects and events.
I value experience and learning from them. I have worked in many different fields simultaneously while putting myself through school. This has given me a large pool of first hand experience from jobs such as working at UPS, delivering pizzas for Domino’s Pizza, waiting tables and life guarding, ect. I value knowing what it’s like on the inside of situations that other people would over look in everyday life. I see beauty in this.
Possibly this is why I had such a hard time finding a niche that could normally be found on the tabs of a news web page. I was trying to limit myself when in reality, I already had my niche. My niche is well rounded, true and gritty. My niche is real, raw experiences that others avoid and I run to. My niche is hearing the stories of people and interacting with people living life.
Instead of waiting for a huge story to break, I search for the stories that are meaningful and I use my initiative to cultivate an understanding of situations that others can only speculate from.
Featured photo taken by Alisa Li.
