I have chosen to be on the right side of history - and that might make me a bad journalist

Flags in bilbao

When it comes to certain issues, I have made the decision I will no longer remain impartial as a journalist.

When it comes to the coverage of the Gaza genocide - the media is getting it wrong. The BBC have starting censoring artists - hand picking the voices we are allowed to hear and the opinions we are expected to have. They are not the only ones guilty of this by far, but I have been a strong defender of the BBC for a long time - but I feel let down by the organisation. 

But it isn’t just the current international politics that has led me to this decision. It has been building! 

I have always been an opinionated individual, even from a young age. I was given detention in primary school because my friend was keeping woodlice in captivity and I told her it was cruel and the teacher told me to say sorry. I refused apologise! I got detention because I wanted the woodlice to be set free - I am still angry about this! #freethewoodlouse

Maybe things would be a lot clearer if journalists didn’t hide behind the idea of ‘non-biased’ or ‘objective’ reporting because those things are impossible! We are affected by our upbringings and situations. Also, most media is funded by people who have agendas - it is impossible to be 100% unbiased. 

So maybe we should be clear about our bias from the beginning so readers, listeners, watchers, followers, know what they are getting. 

With me you get someone who believes it’s time for white men to step aside and give women a chance to lead. You get someone who believes in climate change and feels the pain of animals, but veganism made me poorly. You get someone who believes trans women are women and took the time to understand why. You get someone who thinks war will never solve anything and guns don’t keep anyone safe. The red poppy plastered all over the BBC makes me ill. You get someone who won’t stand for the king or sing the national anthem. I struggle to make friends with people in the military and I think Reform UK and Trump are racists. I believe that a lot of the time, things aren’t black and white - but when it comes to bombing innocent people - things are very clear. Oh yeh, and ChatGBT is making us dumber.

With all this in mind, you can make the choice whether you listen to anything I have to say! I will focus my efforts on being on the right side of history - knowing when we look back that I used my voice with a purpose that I can be proud of. 

It is time for journalism to change the way it views transparency.