An experienced journalist from Vanity Fair once told me that to be a good journalist you must get outside yourself and write about a world that does not have you in it. “Nobody wants to know about you or how you feel about something,” he said.  “Report the story, not how it affects you.” From then on I vowed to exclude myself from my own mind when writing.  But I have yet to conquer such a feat. Is it truly possible though?  

In our intercultural communication course we learned that it is not—that what we write always tells the reader something about ourselves. Now everything is in perspective. Every time I clash with my editor, which has happened all too often, it is actually a conflict of interest. This is why I have felt so hurt when she changed my story. I thought maybe it was because I was self righteous or hard headed (these two words may mean the same thing but repetition is necessary).

So when your editor tells you that the focus of your story is off, or maybe she uses some harsher words, it is possible that she is calling you names. As a result, when you read your story in the paper and only two of your own words remain, there is a legitimate reason why your heart aches or you have a lump in your stomach.

The editor has her interests and you have yours, they will probably hardly be the same. It is important that both persons understand and consider this. However I believe you should always be true to yourself. Writing a story is like making love, you give of yourself, and you can easily and often do get heartbroken. But when editors come around, they knock you down. Just get back up when they knock you down.