Journalists are bound to a strict code of ethics, and as a reporter transitioning into my college and professional career, I've struggled with these ethics. Outside of journalism, I'm very politically active, organizing a school-sanctioned walkout for gun control last year that had 1700 attendees.

 

During my internship at WSB-TV, I asked mentors for their opinions, and they all shared that as professional journalists, they couldn't involve themselves in political advocacy at any level, regardless of whether they specifically report on politics.

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This summer, when I visited the New York Times, I asked the hiring manager about the intersection between journalism and advocacy. She told me that as a student journalist, I'm in a uniquely beneficial position, where I can organize politically and report, but as I enter college and my career, I will need to pick a lane. Times journalists aren't even allowed to make personal financial contributions to political campaigns, much less organize protests. However, I've decided that the community impact I can make my sparking conversation and informing the public about politics is much greater than the impact I would have as a protester. Currently, I just have clear boundaries: I don't report on gun control, and I allow my co-editors to make all decisions about how to cover my activism.