Rat Race.

Encouraged by the response to my piece in the CS Monitor, I attempted to write another op-ed about infighting between Hamas and Fatah. The withholding of humanitarian aid and tax revenues from Palestinians had created an atmosphere of frustration, manifested by increased hostilities between the two parites. I scrambled to write the article, as op-ed writing is as much about timeliness as it is quality. Between the Atlantic and graduate school applications, I had to put the piece aside, as it was too much pressure to try and get it out while the issue was still relevant. Reading the NYT earlier today, I saw that infighting between the rival factions had resumed, and that a prominent member of Hamas had been killed. The surge of excitement rhat I experienced upon discovering that the issue was back in the headlines not only left me feeling guilty and ashamed, but led me to realize that I never want to be a journalist.

My limited experience in the field has shown me that journalism is often not concerned with the actual issues, but with construction and speed. As a journalist, you are inevitaby desensitized, as you come to view world events as raw material from which to craft a polished argument. As long as you do so before anyone else does, it really doesn't matter how obvious or far-reaching your argument may be. It's a vanity contest, with journalists as the contestants and audience members alike. It is sad but seemingly true- few journalsts are taken seriously by those who they seek to influence. Perhaps most disturbing of all is that for a journalist, bad news can be good news. That just can't be good.