runninginorbit

Hi Olga! I used to want to be a journalist, but it seemed like such a difficult job I went into something else instead. I don't regret it and I'm quite happy with my decision, and I still love to read all the news I possibly can every day.

However, what remains painful for me is to see so much criticism of the media. Having gone through training to be a journalist at some point, I feel like there's so much great work out there being done by journalists that is being disregarded as "the media trying to create controversy" when what I see is journalists asking the hard questions that require serious persistence, research, and a belief that the public needs to know about these issues.

That's not to say that this type of "news" doesn't exist — there is a lot of stuff out there that is click-baity/poorly researched/not fact-checked. But to criticize the media with such a broad brushstroke, especially when many journalists are putting their lives/careers on the line to get important information to the public, is something that is difficult for me to see.

So my question is: having done a lot of research on nonconformity and being a journalist yourself and knowing a great many other journalists, what are your thoughts on this type of "they just want controversy/views" criticism of the media?

Edit: Also, I just want to add that I've read a lot of your work in the Atlantic and am a huge fan!! Excited to see you here doing an AMA on Reddit!

Would be interested to see this question answered!

It seems to me that individualism can contribute both to humanization and dehumanization -- on one hand we respect other people's differences, but on the other hand, we are more self-oriented and perhaps less mindful of the feelings of others.