Chapter 17 of Steritmatter’s Mightier than the Sword gives ten reasons for why and how journalists have shaped history. My favorites are:

1. The news organizations that have been influenced important events have been willing to set the agenda.
2. Many of the news organizations that have shaped history have placed journalistic principle above financial gain.
3. An important characteristic of many of the news organizations that have influenced history has been an eagerness to harness the power of visual images.

Out of the ten points listed, these are the ones that resonated with me the most.

Throughout the semester in Journalism 200, I have come to realize the integral part that journalism plays in society. Covering important and controversial issues takes bravery and a strong mind to be able to set the agenda in order to find out the truth.

As an advertising student, I am very interested in imagery and its influences on the human mind. Most of my curriculum is studying how words and images affect people’s thoughts and actions so that one day we can develop campaigns that will influence consumers into buying the brands we represent.

I believe that the pen is a mighty tool, after all that is what this book is all about, but images play a really important role in proving to the reader what something actually is like. Images cause reactions and draw attention because of the inherently visual nature of humans.

Journalism has shaped American history and I cannot begin to think of where we would be without it.

This movie follows the reporters who uncovered all of the information regarding the Watergate Scandal. Through their investigative journalism and tenacity, these reporters were able to uncover secrets about the Nixon Administration that had been buried. These reporters brought to light the corruption of the administration.

Watching this movie in today’s current political climate increased the relevancy of the film. The Trump Administration has a lot of hidden secrets with Michael Flynn and his talks with Russia, Trump’s inability to release his tax returns and recent firing of a judge who disagreed with the Trump travel ban.

This movie showed the importance of journalists in government and that message is more relevant now than ever.

I’ve seen “Spotlight” a number of times now but I will never forget the first time I watched the film.

I was on a break from school, watching with my parents in our living room. Both my parents had been raised by devout Irish-Catholics who held immense pride for their heritage and faith.

As we turned on the movie, the sun was setting and the orange sky could be seen from the bay window in our living room. The dark outline of our Catholic church, where my family had been parishioners for nearly two decades, took up most of view from the window. The church and my family’s home are next door neighbors.

Throughout this first viewing of the film, hardly a word was spoken by either of my parents, a very rare fete in my house. After the film ended there was not much discussion as people got up from the couch and shuffled upstairs to bed.

The experience was uncomfortable and surreal. I imagine also incredibly hard hitting for my parents who grew up very involved in the church. My parents and their siblings, a combined group of 18, grew up as altar boys, members of the choir, regularly attending Sunday School and knowing every response to every prayer and intercession during mass.

This movie followed a team of Boston reporters in their investigative efforts to uncover the truth behind the allegations and covered up secrets in the Catholic church.

Watching the movie again, after having completed most of Journalism 200, allowed me to look at the movie through a different lens.

Much of our lectures have covered controversial issues where journalist’s ethics and integrity were put to the test, like the Pentagon Papers, Watergate and much more.