When a Journalism Program Disappears, What Do We Lose? 📷📰
I still remember when I first started learning computers.
Back then, everything felt new. Possibilities felt wide open. And like a lot of people drawn to storytelling, I had a dream:
I wanted to be a photojournalist.
Not just someone who takes photos—but someone who tells the truth through them. Someone who captures real moments, real people, real stories… the kind that matter.
That dream led me to Langara College.
But life doesn’t always follow the plan you imagine.
I became a photographer instead.
And while I’m grateful for that path, a part of me still understands the importance of what journalism represents—and why losing it matters.
A Program at Risk… A Bigger Story Behind It ⚠️
Now we’re hearing that Langara’s journalism program—one that has existed for over 60 years—is at risk of being cut.
At first glance, it might sound like just another budget decision.
But it’s not that simple.
This is about more than enrollment numbers.
It’s about what we value as a society.
The Voices That Shaped Journalism 🌍
Journalism has always been shaped by people willing to step forward and tell the truth—even when it wasn’t easy.
Internationally, voices like Christiane Amanpour and Marie Colvin showed what it means to report with courage.
Women like Ida B. Wells challenged injustice and changed history.
In Canada, journalists like Peter Mansbridge helped shape national storytelling, while Connie Walker and other Indigenous voices continue to bring forward stories that must be heard.
The Irony of the Digital Age 📱
We’ve never had more content.
But we may be losing the people trained to question it.
Journalism teaches:
✔️ How to verify truth
✔️ How to ask hard questions
✔️ How to hold power accountable
Without that foundation, the line between truth and noise becomes blurry.
A Personal Reflection
Even though I didn’t become a photojournalist, that instinct never left.
Every photo I take… every story I share…
comes from the same place:
a desire to document what’s real.
Reflect Before We Lose More ❓
- If journalism programs disappear, who will investigate power—and who benefits from that silence?
- In a world where anyone can publish, how do we tell truth from manipulation?
- What responsibility do we have to support credible journalism?
- When news becomes polarized like Fox News and CNN, what happens to shared reality?
- Are we creating echo chambers where people only hear what they agree with?
- What happens to accountability in our own communities without local journalism?
- Who tells the story when journalists are replaced by influencers or algorithms?
- Should education focus more on challenging misinformation?
- Are Indigenous and marginalized voices at greater risk of being silenced?
- What kind of media landscape do we want in Canada in 10–20 years?
Final Thought
When a journalism program disappears, we don’t just lose a course.
We risk losing the people trained to ask: “Is this true?”
And that’s something we can’t afford.
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#LangaraCollege #JournalismMatters #VancouverBC #MediaLiteracy #TruthMatters #WomenInMedia #IndigenousVoices #CanadianMedia #Photojournalism #SaveJournalism
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