As a senior in high school I was asked what I was going to do after graduation so frequently I felt like a broken record — “I’m going to Iowa State to study journalism and marketing.” I don’t remember most times I was asked the age-old question, but I remember one exchange.

After giving my standard response to the question, this man said when he sees the news they wondered “what actually happened” and hoped I could change that. His response alluded to distrust in the media, a comment that still serves as motivation for me to practice journalism that defies that distrust. While this comment was made years ago, the climate of distrust certainly still exists.

My own views of journalism have changed since that time — shaped by both my education and practical experience working for newspapers. I have a greater appreciation for what it takes to publish a newspaper and the care that is put into sharing the news. I have seen my colleagues spend hours evaluating phrases or discussing whether a photo should be published, for example, to weigh the costs and benefits to both the community and those in the story.

Those decisions are not easy. Those decisions don’t always end up being right and mistakes also happen inadvertently. I’ve made my fair share.

But I still trust the news media because I know the time and care that goes into publishing accurate news.

I’m not here to tell you the media is perfect — because it isn’t. But I will say the access to information the news media provides far outweighs the much more rare mistakes that are made.

In today’s age of information bombardment, it’s easy to think “I don’t need the news” because we get so much information on social media and other web-based forums. Social media is great, but it is not a replacement to news. I am afraid for people who think that it is — especially those who grew up with the internet.

There are stark differences between news and social media. On social media, people can share something because it aggravates them, inspires them or any number of reactions in between. When people do that, they have no obligation to check into the factuality of what they share, to hear out the other side or put it into context. In the news, we do. To do our jobs well, we check into things, get multiple sources and provide context.

One of my favorite parts of journalism is constantly getting new perspectives and learning. The news challenges us to see the world differently than we would on our own and ultimately is helps us make educated decisions. While the way in which journalists deliver the news is changing, its value has not.

I hope you also see the value in news and if you don’t, I’d love to have a conversation about it.

National Newspaper Week is Oct. 7 to Oct. 13. I hope you will join the Times-Republican in celebrating the value newspapers provide communities. We appreciate you letting us be a part of your lives and I’d be happy to hear any feedback about how we can serve you better.

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‘The future is bright’ is a bi-monthly column from

T-R News Editor Emily Barske focusing on young people,

innovation and civil discourse.

Have a suggested topic or feedback?

Contact her at ebarske@timesrepublican.com