Have you ever noticed that once someone makes up their mind about something, it is very hard for them to change their minds about it?

I am just as guilty as anyone when it comes to that. When I was two-years-old, I decided I wasn’t going to like broccoli.

I have never eaten a single piece of it.

A lot of people have that same type of feeling toward reporters.

Bare with me, maybe someone in the media has burned either you or someone you know or you have heard horror stories of the paparazzi relentlessly trailing celebrities and politicians to produce mindless drivel, but honestly, that is not how a majority of us want to be associated with.

Many people say that journalists only look for the conflict and harp on that as much as possible, but I have to disagree with that idea.

When we are writing a story, we look at the issues of the story from all angles. We want to voice all valid opinions concerning the many aspects of the story and you will always find a person who has a conflicting view with someone else in the story.

As a journalist, it is my obligation to inform the public of all sides of an argument. If not, how would we be able to keep our society in check?

I’m not saying a journalist should become an advocate, but what I am saying is that a journalist’s duty is to inform the public as much as possible, and maybe one of their readers will go out and take a stand, make a difference in their community.

But a journalist’s job can be hindered if you, a key-player in our story, stonewalls us. Please, help us tell the public what is happening in the community. Let them decide what should be done in their area.

Let’s take a bite out of that piece of broccoli together; we may not like it, but at least we gave it a chance.

— LeighAnne Manwarren, Norman City Beat Reporter

Read all of LeighAnne Manwarren's stories here.