If you visited this site and seen my articles, you might be asking, why am I posting a blog about myself when it was devoted to only news? The reason why I am posting this is because most people tend to be engaged in news stories when they know something about the journalist who provides them. They can develop a connection with him/her and this can lead to the reader understanding the purpose of the article, it can lead to them to developing an interest in their writing style and it can lead to a level of trust. Through this, readers are bound to believe that the story is informative and interesting.
To my readers, take the time to know who I am and what it is that I do.
My name is Taariq N. Adams, I am 26 years old (at the time this blog was posted) and a student at Towson University, majoring in Radio and minoring in Journalism although it is bound to become a second major. My hobbies include movies, video games, reading, television and radio, including music of many genres, entertainment, local news, world news and politics. The reason why I developed an interest in journalism and radio was for many reasons.
When I was young, I used to watch a lot of movies, so my first ambition was becoming an actor, but then I realized that my acting was the equivalent of a 6-year-old trying to be more dramatic than Jim Carry in his role as Count Olaf in the movie “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” My second ambition was to be a TV anchor, but I tended to get nervous and at times, image is everything when on camera. You had to look presentable, you had to have good posture, and the most difficult part of it was balancing between reading your lines and facing the camera.
When I started going to college, I discovered my interest in journalism and writing stories to inform the public. Writing however wasn’t really my greatest strength and it requires editing upon editing upon editing and then some, that and I rarely had the ability to keep my attention on small letters and symbols. I had to find another means to pursue this goal and I needed to discover my niche and method to inform the public and ensure they remain interested in what I had to say. I then realized that I was able to engage more in what I could see or hear. This is where I discovered an interest for radio, a form of media while very simple, it carries a lot of weight to what is required. In television, you were able to see the anchor as he/she gives you the news, but in radio, all you have is a voice and that alone has to be enough to grab the attention of listeners and never let go. I found myself drawn to this form of media because this felt like the easier option to me although it would require years of training.
I embraced the idea of using only my voice to inform, entertain and inspire and at times, I believe that’s really all you need. This is ironic in a good way because when I was young, I was diagnosed with autism, a developmental disability that impaired my speech and listening abilities. At first, I was seen as non-verbal, but thanks to the efforts of my parents, I was able to receive various therapy services to overcome this obstacle. Now I am majoring in a field of study that would seem improbable knowing my history, but I pushed forward despite this and to this day, I continue to improve and develop my craft.
Another reason why I embraced this idea was because of a man named Edward R. Murrow, a man who reported on local news, politics and wars, specifically the Jewish prisoners at the end of World War II, and then reporting on the actions of Joseph McCarthy during the Red Scare. There was a form of hardness and elegance in his voice, he was a respected person of the community and was willing to say what many would be afraid to say. Although he started off in radio then jumped to television, I still see him as an inspiration to me and hopefully other students interested in this field of study. I want to be able to report on several topics that some would seem controversial yet I want to be seen as a kind and honest human being, a respected and responsible member of the community and an engaging radio journalist who can win the hearts and minds of others, the same way Murrow did in his time.
The idea to push forward to reach this goal is very ambitious, but ambition is what drove many people to have their names written in the history books. I still have a long way to go, but I made it this far and I’m still going strong.
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T-Adams Journalism 