How I Came to be an Engligh Major - Essay Example

But some things never change, like the timeless principles of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Benjamin Franklin, who stress the importance of adhering to biblical precepts when communicating one’s message – an ideal that I especially appreciate as an ordained minister. I chose my major in order to truly make a difference in the way information is relayed to society, and a student who aspires to a career in public relations or broadcasting, I believe that I have taken the first step toward improving the communications field so that will work to edify society – not tear it down.

As an ordained minister, I have an acute awareness of how crucial it is to accurately communicate the truth in order to have an effective ministry, and this extends into my career ambitions to excel in public relations or broadcasting. It is readily seen throughout the media that audiences desperately desire honest and objective reporting grounded in the truth. If people wanted a fictional spin, they would resort to fiction literature or other forms of entertainment such as the box office or prime time television.

But in today’s information craze, highlighted by Facebook, Twitter, reality TV, and talk shows, people want to know the bare truth about events and one another. And the demand for the communicators of this information is growing exponentially. The decision to become an English or Communications major puts one at the center of this frenzy that insatiably yearns for intimate information about the world. Anchoring my education in a degree that strengthens my communication skills and equips me to effectively and objectively report to readers, listeners, or viewers ?

who want to cut through the chase and get the unembellished and accurate information they need ? is of the essence. But this objective is not just a modern convention, as one of our nation’s founders, Benjamin Franklin, also recognized the need for integrity when communicating with others more than two centuries ago when he wrote about the virtue of sincerity, “Use no hurtful Deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly,” (DiYanni 231). Even though the truth may hurt, people like to hear it told like it is, and Franklin bases this on a timeless biblical principle, “Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth,” (The NIV Study Bible, Prov. 16.13).

Regardless of the way Hollywood glorifies using deceit to get one’s way, the conscience of people ultimately directs them to seek and honor truth over lies. One of the allures to the viral intrigue of social media sites is the honesty and uncensored expression from which people are allowed to indulge, without having to adjust their lingo to political biases or other climates that stifle one’s free expression in the real world. This is why we are seeing a new age of news media, with many independent bloggers and reporters from localities that report on people and events without being filtered by bureaucracies or company politics.

By making the decision to major in a field that puts an emphasis on effective and objective communication, I feel that I am one step ahead in a society that is putting a high demand on objective, truthful, and accurate reporting. I also chose to focus on English and Communications in my major