Written by third-year University of Guelph-Humber Media and Communication Studies student, Elayna Medeiros
By: Elayna Medeiros
As a third-year Media & Communication Studies student, there’s this looming sense of stress and pressure to figure out what I want to do after university, especially in a field like journalism, where the landscape is slowly dwindling, with shrinking newsrooms and a shift in how people consume news. And as if I wasn’t already stressed enough, the current media industry places so much importance on narrowing down and finding a niche, adding a new level of stress in now having to choose my niche.
But then George Stroumboulopoulos gave a talk to my class.
I knew of George from his major projects with MuchMusic and Hockey Night in Canada, but I had no clue how diverse his career really was. From interviewing bands, to having an Apple Music show, to covering human rights in Syria, it seems George has truly done it all – all because he never narrowed himself down to a niche.
George taught me the importance of staying true to yourself, your passions and your values.
He inspired the class to find the one thing in yourself that drives all your interests to create your own personal niche. Dig deep into your core: what is the one thing that connects your passions? Find it and explore it in your work.
It’s normal to be passionate about a variety of things, so why should we have to choose just one? Why not find the core connection and explore all your passions, potentially finding success in a variety of areas?
George himself said he has never cared what anyone else thinks about him. He stressed the importance of never sacrificing yourself: your values, morals and passions, as holding onto these will only make you a better journalist.
My professor, Catherine Kustanczy, reminded George of something he said to her in their 2008 interview about the environmental campaign “One Million Acts of Green”: “I am not the smartest person, but I am one of the most curious.”
I can see how she remembered this quote after all these years, as I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I heard it. It’s such a simple statement, yet so profound. You don’t need to be the smartest so long as you have the curiosity to keep learning.
George credited a lot of his career and self-growth to curiosity, in opportunities he was not initially interested in. Despite his first instinct to say no to many projects, he decided to pursue them for the sake of curiosity, ultimately turning out to be an amazing experience.
This practice is something I will continue to carry with me for the rest of my life. It is essential for our personal growth and mind development to seek out experiences we may not like or want to do, because you never know what can happen when you step outside of your comfort zone.
George speaking to my class was much more than just a lecture with a cool guest speaker; it’s something that has completely changed the way I think about my journalistic future and practices, and for that I am so grateful.