skrapnel

So I just submitted an essay to win a trip to the National Press Foundation Awards Dinner. The assignment was to explain why journalism still matters in 100 words or less. Here’s what I wrote:

In an age in which it’s easy to peer through the anonymous and lifeless window of the computer monitor, we need journalism to wake us up from information overload. By connecting us with victims of war or natural disaster, or simply with members of our own community, journalists take the world and break it down into digestible pieces of people and places, emotions and events. They help us remember what’s important: We are all connected by our own humanity. As the world becomes increasingly more global, we need that reminder now more than ever.

Wish me luck!  This is part of pursuing my goals more courageously. If I win, it’d be a huge opportunity. If I don’t, I’m proud of myself for putting it out there. A younger Chris would have rationalized all the reasons NOT to submit, or would have just let the opportunity pass me by.