This is the Oxford English Mini-Dictionary's definition.

The general public's definition of a Journalist is more likely to contain, at best, words such as: Educated, Exciting, Dedicated, Courageous, and at worst: Intrusive, Manipulative, Self-centred, and Merciless.

The truth is…well, what is the truth? And there you have it!

A Journalist's job always refers back to the question; 'What is the Truth?'

Not what you may have been told, not what is most convenient, but the cold, bare-naked facts. Journalists want to reveal, expose, and disclose, the best-kept secrets, scandalous agreements, and generally anything that has been covered up.

The responsibility to keep the public informed is huge. The buzz felt when you're the first to inform them, is even huger. As one of the most cut-throat professions in the world, the rivalry within Journalism is immense. The pressure is on, can't miss a beat, otherwise you're out. With such a job, how could there not be danger?

The danger roots itself within the mind of the Journalist, it stems out with the question, 'How far will I go to uncover the truth?'

When the answer is all the way, the Journalist has signed up for the unknown. When a Journalist sets out to infiltrate a cover-up, he or she is unlikely to know the person or people being exposed, unlikely to know what they're capable of, unlikely to know how far they will go to keep their secret hidden.

How is a Journalist to know when they're in too far, in too deep and out of their league? But a Journalist pushes these thoughts from their mind, the drive to get to the bottom of a story is too big, it's a lot more appealing to think of the rewards gained from exposing scandal of the century, rather than thinking about the danger they may have put themselves in and not just that, but the danger they may put their family in.

Not everybody can be a Journalist; it's not for the fainthearted. Only a certain type of person has the drive to be a Journalist, this type of person can often be summed up as a workaholic. Workaholics find it hard to leave their job outside of their personal life, their motivation to be the best and produce the best, implies the danger of living an extremely stressful life. This desire of wanting to be the person that reveals the best, most exciting story, can also lead to the danger of fabrication, so that the truth is indeed blurred.

But whatever may be written about the dangers of Journalism, there are still thousands, maybe millions of people that take the risks, and see it as their duty to reveal the truth, and inform the public. Journalists like the soldier that fights to defend his country, command a certain kind of admiration from the rest of us.

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