As I reflect on the last few weeks of this journalism course, it's become more and more apparent that the road for professional journalists is certainly a long and winding road. From the ethical debates, to the questions surrounding the very need for 'professional' journalists at all. If I could go back three years to that eager new uni student I would probably tell myself 'do nursing or something that actually has credibility (or at least the promise of a job at the end of three years of study)'. But alas, here I am anyway, facing the somewhat nerve racking milestone of graduating and entering 'the real world' as a fully pledged, professional journalist.

When I first started this blog, I was concerned with a rather shocking (at least to me) statement of 'journalism matters, journalists dont' and have since tried through my ramblings to affirm the need for journalists in society. That is, people who have been exposed to some form of professional training as opposed to just setting up a twitter account and calling themselves credible. I hope that I have been able to do this, to some extent at least because journalist do matter. Like the old saying goes, 'with great power comes great responsibilty' and for the case of journalists this could not be more true. Unfortunately, there will be always be bad journalism, but for the most part in Australia at least I'd like to think we are doing ok.

This is certainly difficult times for the media industry, but I think The Australian journalist Mark Day sums it up pretty in his article 'No one can deny the benefits of a free press', when he says:

" It is more popular than usual at the moment to condemn the media for its faults and shortcomings, and the reasons are understandable.

"A loss of trust linked to the phone hacking and a fiercely partisan political environment are two major causes.

"But we must not lose sight of the benefits a free press brings society as it lifts the lid on government secrets, corporate and public corruption and shines a light in places where crooks, crims and politicians would prefer darkness.

"Even the rambunctious tabloids can be a force for good".

Who needs a Media Enquiry when you have The Chaser?

You know that the death of the journalist is becoming a prominent issue within Australia, when the Chaser team get their own show based on the topic. ‘The Hamster Wheel’ is the new show from the team that brought us the Chasers War on Everything, and it examines ‘how the media works or, in most cases, doesn't work. Why do we get the news we get? And inside the frantic rush of the hamster wheel, has the race to be first replaced the race to be right?’

While I will always be a defender of Journalists (good ones anyway), after watching this show it saddens me to admit that these guys have a point. While it’s nothing most of us don’t already know, (in fact the first episode seemed to sum up most of the topics discussed in this Journalism course), it’s not until the issues are pointed out by a group of thirty something comedic hooligans with no regard for, well anything, that it all becomes very real.

Hell, who needs a media enquiry when you have the Chaser team to point out all of our imperfections?

I think Sydney Morning Herald journalist Paul Kalina sums it up pretty well in his description of “a blowtorch to the media's coverage of news and current affairs” and i encourage everyone to tune in Wednesdays, 9.30pm on ABC1.