Being a journalist isn't just about reporting facts, although it is an important and necessary component.  There is much more to being a journalist and many people that decide to read into subjects already have a little information or at least the knowledge that they have the desire to know more, but educating isn't just about stating facts. Journalistic writing combines fact, passion, and the ability to open someones mind up to new possibilities that can help them make an educated decision or see something they only halfway understand from another point of view.

 

A good journalistic writer doesn't lace their work with their own opinion, no matter how strong it may be. Helping someone to realize that there is always more than one way to look at something doesn't only apply to conflict with opposing sides, it applies to internal conflict and external influence as well and a piece written by a good journalist helps someone to overcome these things and see a situation from the outside. Helping someone make a decision to stay on one side of the fence or straddle both sides and understand them with compassion should be the aim of every journalistic piece of writing, but it shouldn't force the reader to do either.