Boyana Atanasova reports:

Challenges ahead

Being a journalist is not only about fame and fortune… Surprise? If you’re looking forward to your first “fight”, your first report, your first article, interview, package, news… be prepared for surprises. It seems obvious, but sometime I’m also forgetting it. There are a lot of obstacles on this road, and you have to face them, before you can start a career in the media business. 

There are days when everything will be against you - the weather will be crappy and you won’t be able to create the video package of your dreams, the interviewees won’t show up, arrangements will be cancelled in the last minute, people will run away screaming when you show them your microphone for a simple vox pop, you’ll run out of batteries or the microphone will not be plugged-in properly… That’s part of the job and you have to deal with it. Being a journalist is very exciting, but it is also a dedication and really, REALLY hard work. My lecturers are always repeating that you’re as good journalist, as your stories are, but there are times when that’s not enough. The most important thing becomes your ability to stand up after you have fallen off the rock, to put your smile back on your face and to start the journey again. That’s the only way. Take it or leave it.