“If you can’t put words to the experiences in your life, you don’t know what’s going on in your life. Things are happening to you. If you can’t name them, you’re not in control of your life.” These are the words of Don Waisanen, a second year doctoral fellow at USC. He is young, with an impressive level of experience in journalism, broadcasting, and radio.
In my first semester at USC, Don taught the Discussion section of Comm 201. His words have come to direct every area of my life. No matter what the situation, when I return to this rough definition of communication, I can grasp the limitless possibilities of my communication’s results. I don’t want things to happen to me. I want to make things happen.
The words I write can and should create meaning out of everyday events. When I practice defining my own experiences, I grow, and I change. I become a better writer. Sometimes I have to dig deep to find out what the truth is, but it's there. It's there for anyone who's passionate about writing, I believe... always lurking behind a phrase or buried in a gut.
So much of what I read and see happening in the world is tainted by a media frame, political or otherwise -- someone's agenda to get me to buy a product or to worship Paris Hilton's empty glory. I've come to understand that Don's words are not just about me, but about the importance of individual perspectives in a society soaked in media blood. Blogging is one of the few areas in this new communication order that allows anyone in society to publish words conveying what they see. Although the quality of writings fluctuate, they assist in maintaining a balance of interests, which the media often fails to do.
Before Don's class, I often felt bombarded by media images and focused on writing about my own life. That was my escape. Now, I also practice analyzing messages formed by the media, beginning with the question, "Why?" It has become a great tool for uncovering truth. I'd like to think that this is exactly what he meant.
