By Adam Reed
Most people don’t think of journalists as superheroes. When you think of a superhero, you probably think of someone with special powers who puts on a crazy costume and fights injustice. However, the lifestyle of a superhero and the lifestyle of a journalist may not be as vastly different as you may think.
Consider one of the most famous superheroes of all time, Superman. It’s no coincidence he chose a career as a journalist. Back when the original Superman television show aired in the 1950’s, the narrator would explain how Superman stood for truth, justice and the American way as part of the opening for every show. The things Superman was a symbol for publicly happened to be a perfect summary of the motivations for his alter-ego, Clark Kent, the intrepid reporter for the Daily Planet.
Clark Kent may be an imaginary character, but he should remind those who are pursuing a career in journalism, just what it is they stand for. Journalists today have an obligation to bring truth and justice to a world filled with lies, illusion and inequality. There is no greater “super-power” a journalist could ask for than the power to impart knowledge to those who need it.
Protecting the American way of life doesn’t have the luxury of an alien savior from another planet. It will have to rely on the incorruptible character of a group of normal human beings. Superman may get all the credit for saving the world, but here’s to the real hero of the story, the simple farm boy from Kansas who was unafraid to stand up for what he believed in. Doing so is much more impressive than shooting lasers out of your eyes, and it is exactly what the world needs today.