Mason Lipscomb

If I said that I wanted to be a journalist since I was little, I would be lying. To be honest, I would also be lying if I said I considered it in high school. I originally declared myself a journalism major in order to gain insight into my real dream, which was to become a film producer and director. Although that dream still lives on, my mind is set on journalism because of the fast paced environment and constantly changing stories.

One could say I chose journalism because it was the closest thing to film that LSU had to offer. I first became interested with film in high school. I was in the Catholic High School band for four years and was certain I was going to become a famous musician. It was my job to create a movie for the end of the year. In the past, these videos were made as a simple slide show. Being the big showoff that I am, I decided to make the movie with actual movie software. After the movie finished, I received a standing ovation from the band, parents, and faculty, but more importantly, a sense of satisfaction with my work. People came up to me and said I should go into film. I decided to take their advice. When I came to LSU, I desperately wanted to be in film. That changed once I became interested in journalism. I started watching the news and became interested in domestic and foreign affairs.

Since discovering the love of the news and journalism, more specifically broadcasting, I am determined to expand my knowledge on the subject. The biggest boost came in June 2008. I signed up for a course in reporter training through Television News Center in Washington D.C. This company has trained a multitude of nationally known anchors and reporters. I spent four days in Washington, two of which actually training. We filmed a news spot on the housing crisis plaguing the nation, edited the footage and added voice-overs for the final product. I decided that I wanted to be a journalist. I can see myself becoming either a reporter or a news anchor. With this MC 2010 class, I hope to be one step closer to becoming a professional journalist.

I would enjoy working with either WAFB or WBRZ, both Baton Rouge news channels, because I have watched those channels for a long time and have seen them change throughout the years. I was born and raised in Baton Rouge and in the shadow of LSU. I attended private schools in Baton Rouge, which slightly helped null the shock of college. My father, an architect, and my mom, a nurse, both work with people and behind a desk. This parental trend made me search myself for what I really wanted to do in life. As previously stated, I wanted to become a professional musician with either saxophone or guitar, both of which I play. Ironically, it was my band director who swayed me to think of a more reasonable job path, saying that I would be financially insecure for a long time if I chose music as a profession. I felt overwhelmed my first semester because, before my band director said anything, I knew exactly what I wanted. I felt that I would never find something that would interest me, even though film was still a dream of mine. I realized early on that journalists, in my mind, rank with doctors and lawyers in importance. These are the select people who give the nation its information on what’s going on in the world.

It seems that I ramble about journalism too much, but the honest truth is I love this subject and I had a boring life until my last year in high school. I am a simple southern boy who loves music, news, partying, and making friends. The past semesters I have partied too much, causing my grades to slump and the likelihood of me being accepted into the mass com college more distant. I am nowhere close to giving up. After my summer term has concluded, I will continue to strive for a higher GPA so my new dream can be realized. Film will always be a passion of mine, but journalism is my career choice that I do not see changing. I hope that one day I will be reporting on world affairs or become an investigative reporter for a national broadcasting company, specifically CNN. As of right now, that dream seems far away, but with the help of my reporter training and the training I am receiving now in MC 2010, my dream seems closer than it ever has.