When I first got to The Post I had this larger-than-life urge to make content that resonated with people. Now that I’m sitting here over 200 stories later, I wonder if it was remotely worth it. I’ve poured years of my life into this university, more specifically this organization, and what do I have to show for it other than a piece of paper and a more detailed resume? I hear that line of thinking weekly and it shortchanges the college experience.
There is no pot of gold or tremendous cash prize that awaits you at the end of college or your participation in an organization. College is about experiences and how you can better yourself from both success and failure. I’ve learned more about myself, what I’m good at and what I like doing than I could have ever imagined before attending Ohio University and The Post is without a doubt to thank for it.
As a graduating senior, leaving Athens doesn’t make me super teary-eyed, but the thing I’ll miss most is what The Post has to offer: the purest form of creative freedom, with hundreds of student journalists working tooth and nail to better themselves.
I think it's rare to be surrounded by so many different driven people of the same age and in the same place, and that’s part of what makes The Post great. The other part of what makes The Post special is its variety of outlets for all different types of talented people. I don’t know the next time I’ll get the chance to write about OU football, Olivia Rodrigo and Harry Potter in the span of two weeks, but I know that it is something I will undoubtedly miss.
I had so many different goals while I was at The Post, but the one I always came back to was finding a way to generate content that I would love to read.
There are so many (perhaps too many) entertainment options that are super accessible today, and I believe the only way people read articles is if they’re as creative, original and as impassioned as possible.
For me, that meant not voicing popular opinions, especially if I couldn’t find a way to do so creatively. The more I think about what articles I actually click on when I’m scrolling on Twitter or browsing online, the more I think it's absolutely vital to take up unpopular opinions. The columns I had the most fun writing were the ones I made the craziest argument I possibly could make while still defending it. Of course, that meant people would disagree with me, but it’s better that way. At least it was something I as a reader would have engaged with; at least it was original; and most importantly, at least it was something I was proud of.
Being a sports reporter, even in college, is a lot more difficult than some people think—I remember countless times I questioned whether or not anyone was reading my stories and if I should just go home. But, I promise sports reporting matters. People care about what other people care about, if you’re really passionate about athletics it will show in your writing and people will care enough to reach out to you or come back to your work.
Journalism, whether it’s column writing, sports writing or anything else The Post does, takes discipline and focus. However, if you can do this job with passion and care, you will make other people’s lives a little bit better. The feeling of providing a reader with a little bit of information or joy or entertainment or any emotion should mean the world to any journalist worth their salt. It certainly did to me.
Bobby Gorbett is a senior studying journalism. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Bobby know by tweeting him @GorbettBobby.
