going native

I’m being taught that one of the cardinal rules of journalism is to not “go native.” I don’t know how I feel about this. I feel that as a journalist (one who journals), I have the responsibility to live and truly understand the people I write about.

When I was in Ukraine, Peace Corps encouraged us to join in the culture, to join in the fun, if you will. Hanging out with the Ukrainians, picking up their lingo and eating their food is part of what made the experience so awesome.

Actually, I never was able to go truly native. Sure I drank some of their vodka and swam in their waters, but parts of the culture I could never really embrace. For one, I couldn’t get into their clothing styles. Tight jeans and shiny silver belts didn’t exactly look good on me. My friend, Sheryl, could pull it off. She’d wear her shuba (fur coat), winter boots, and shiny belt to the disco every Friday and Saturday. She basically became a true Ukrainian. And then she married one.

I’m not really sure where I’m going to end up after I finish my masters in journalism. I’m okay with this, though. I do know that I fully plan to experience life and “go native” in some respects. I will travel. And I’ll get to know what the cultures are like. Maybe that’s not truly going native, but you know… there are just too many rules in journalism.