By Siya Chhabra (’24)

According to Oxford Languages, it is none other than “the activity or profession of writing for newspapers, magazines, or news websites.” As stated by the American Press Institute, it is truly, very simple. It is the act of “gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting.” In the eyes of Merriam-Webster, its succinct denotation should be classified as, “a presentation through the media.” First and foremost, what is it? 

Well, it’s nothing other than the homeostasis of sentiments, the equilibrium between media and the world, and the extraction of bias in perspective; it is journalism. As student writers, journalism provides the right set of circumstances to indulge in our curiosities, zealously explore our interests and leisure pursuits, and undertake pedagogic endeavors. In Cammi Tirico’s TED Talk presentation about the significance of high school citizens’ journalism seconds exactly such a sentiment. Over the course of this year, I have developed a viewpoint that completely agrees with Tirico’s compelling viewpoints. 

Cammi Tirico currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of The Communicator, her Ann Arbor secondary school’s news publication, and she claims that journalism is under strain and that eloquent, determined journalists are more valuable to society in the present than ever before. Tirico argues that journalism should be promoted and respected at all levels, whether it is an esteemed, credible resource or a school newspaper. After encountering Central News Network, CNN, and the Detroit News at a Detroit rally in the midst of the 2016 election, Tirico asserts that journalists are not separated by external factors, like age or experience, but instead are consistently on a balanced playing field to pay attention and distribute to society stories that matter. Through journalism, individuals vicariously live through the lives of specific people. Whether that may be an haute-couture designer in the Big Apple during New York Fashion Week, the Chief Executive Officer of a Fortune 500 company, the owner of a small business, or a political wunderkind, journalism poses as a pathway to an exposure of worldwide microcosms of experience. 

The myriad of skills, sophistication, inclusive understanding, and experiences that journalism offers were undoubtedly encountered at the IA Overachiever, as well. Despite unprecedented circumstances due to the worldwide pandemic, members of the IA Overachiever were passionate about their monthly topics, dedicated to finding the truth, and eager to embody the essence of journalism at the International Academy. They covered topics from television entertainment industry to the Pledge of Allegiance. Some IA students expressed their viewpoints of the importance of journalism to them. For instance, Giulia Pincetti, a freshman writer, mentioned that, “Journalism allowed me to open my eyes to different topics by allowing me to research, learn and grow through the art of writing.” Another student writer and Editor of the Entertainment section of the IA Overachiever named Saysha Mahadevan mentioned that she “personally believes that journalism in high school is important because it is a creative outlet in which high schoolers are free to express their thoughts and opinions and just freely write about anything that they’re passionate about. High schoolers are at a mature enough level that they can write thoughtfully about things that they care about and can inspire their peers or other people who read their work to care about those things too.” Rachel Rochford, a fellow sophomore in the Class of 2023 asserts that, “High school journalism lays the foundation for the future of the practice. It gives students a voice and allows them to express their thoughts on the issues that impact us all.” 

Over the course of the past year, the IA Overachiever has provided me, as a budding journalist, and practicing writer, to dive deeper into the events that occur in our ever-changing, unpredictable world through the means of TED Talk analysis and reflection. Therefore, I wanted to extend my sincere gratitude and regards to everyone who has contributed to Perspicacity and Perception: IA’s Inquisitive Mind. Remember, journalism is the way to express views through writing and reach a countless number of people to make your mark through writing about the world. Thank you, and I hope you have a great summer!