By Cassy van Eeden

Having recently investigated the realities of being a journalist, it is clear that this is far from the truth. What better way to dispel the myths that surround the media industry than to talk to people who work for the media themselves?

Myth 1: Journalists are the bad guys

A common misperception about journalists is that they are driven by the sole purpose of catching people out and making them look bad. “One thing I notice a lot is that people have this idea that journalists have hidden agendas and don’t care about the facts so they just manipulate the information and portray it as they like,” says Monique Vrey, a sports journalist for kykNET Verslag.

“I feel I am often categorised as the bad guy,” says Fabio De Dominicis, journalist at Kick Off magazine. “Although many sensationalist publications do exist, our job is primarily to report the truth in an objective manner.”

As Vrey argues, there may be a select few journalists who behave this way, but it isn’t the case for everyone. As a result, one of the biggest challenges that journalists face is gaining people’s trust, says Very.

Myth 2: A career in the media industry is easy-peasy

Many people think that being in the media industry means that you get to rub shoulders with VIPs and attend swanky events. This is not the case. Not only is there very little money to be made in the media industry, it is also very hard work to stay in the industry.

“I think people take for granted how much work goes into the process of having your work published,” says Shandukani Mulaudzi, content manager at FinWeek. “Also, it’s not very glamourous at all. We are rarely ever VIP and sometimes [we are] really just treated like the help by the very PR people who need us to give them the exposure they need.”

“This profession is so hard,” says Abongile Zizi, bulletin writer at SABC. Zizi mentions that a particularly challenging part of having a job in the media industry is having to separate oneself from the difficult stories that are told by the media. “Sometimes it’s hard to walk away from a human interest story hoping to help but doubting that your work is making a difference.”

Myth 3: Anyone can do the job

Monique Mortlock, a journalist at Eyewitness News, says: “The idea that ‘anyone can become a journalist’ really annoys me.” She explains that not just anyone can pull off surviving in the media industry. “You need a certain personality and work ethic to become a journalist, and a good one at that. It takes a special type of person to become a journalist [that is] worth his or her salt.”

Mulaudzi agrees that people don’t take the amount of work that journalists do seriously, meaning that anyone can do the job. She explains that: “Unlike bloggers and social media commentators who have no one to be accountable to, there is a lot more expected of journalists.”

Are you a media professional? What are some of the misconceptions that people have about the media industry? Let us know in the comments below.