digital journalist
For the next few weeks, I will be updating the site with some extra content including PDF versions of many of the clips I have featured in the writing section. If you have suggestions for other elements I should add to the site, please leave a comment.
Thanks!
Jessica
Recently, my fiancé Dustin and I returned from a trip to the East Coast to meet family and spend time with friends we have not seen in a couple years (if you’d like to read more about this trip, please see my blog post on the wedding blog). On our way home, I was reading this book “What is a Jew?” to Dustin as part of our pre-marital counseling. It’s amazing to me how much I learned about my own religion and culture while reading this book (probably one of the reasons I was assigned to read it also). One of the points that really popped for me was the Jewish emphasis on helping the world and being an active participant in society, no matter where you live.
Thinking about that made me realize that one of the reasons I feel so connected to journalism is this cultural push to be aware of what’s going on in my community and to stand up for justice of people being wronged, which is the exact purpose of watchdog journalism and independent reporters. I want to help keep politicians honest and make sure the people in whatever community I’m working are being treated fairly.
For me, it’s more than just a job or a career choice, it’s an essential part of a democracy, an informed citizenry and my Jewish culture.
Dustin and I started a wedding blog! Well, It’s more than that. We bought DustinandJessicaSparks.com so we could blog about our wedding, but could continue it after this year and write about our newlywed experiences, our family experiences and more.
Why blog?
Well, we are doing it to keep organized, to communicate with our widespread family, and hopefully to get some feedback on our ideas. For me, I need to see things written out. That’s why I make task lists…almost daily. I write down all appointments and questions. i can’t seem to remember them without writing them down. The other day Dustin and I went to the grocery and didn’t bring a list, and I had to go back the next day for things we forgot. I just need to write it down.
I think that a joint blog is also an opportunity to grow together as a couple. Dustin and I can be a power duo, but all the right things need to be in place for that to happen. Usually, when I need help with a Web site or something (especially online), we end up arguing and getting upset at each other for stupid reasons. I’m hoping this joint blog will change that. We’ll learn how to work together, bounce ideas off each other and get through it without fighting over small steps.
I welcome you to check out the wedding blog.