Scoop reminds readers to choose their words carefully. While many of the characters in the book forge scandals and events to create unique stories, the truth always seems to come out. Whether a lie is about something as inconsequential as misreporting a bird's mating habits or as monumental as reporting a freak riot in a foreign city that never happened, journalists have both the power and duty to help shape and direct public opinion. By choosing what to cover and how to cover it, journalists provide readers with a lens for seeing the world and framework for asking questions. What gets left out of a piece is just as important as what gets included. As an aspiring journalist, this hits home for me. But why are we talking about me in this book review? While this blog has often served as a platform for me to share reviews and tips that I think are useful for readers, it is also my space to think and release through writing. To me writing, and therefore journalism, is about honesty. Writing has always seemed so permanent to me. Sometimes I think my written words are the only things that will be left when I'm gone. They are lasting, so I must choose them wisely. In my coming of age quest to define who I am and what I believe in, I take this seriously- sometimes too seriously- but I can't help but place heavy weight on my pencil (or keyboard) that I now hold with confidence as it glides across sheets of paper, materializing my thoughts.
This thoughtful tangent brings me back to just what I love about Scoop and books in general: they make me think. Books push me to think harder, smarter and longer. As I turn pages in a book and turn over ideas in my mind, I turn closer to the possibility of finding another piece of my identity as a writer and a person. While Scoop resonated with me in part due to the nature of the topic, the novel also served as inspiration for who I hope to become. On a surface level, Waugh's writing is flawless, and I hope to achieve a similar level of fluidity one day. Going deeper, however, this novel is about taking risks and moving out of one's comfort zone (okay, maybe becoming a war correspondent with zero previous experience is more than just a little out of my comfort zone), yet I'm inspired to see more, do more and be more after reading Scoop. And I think you will too, if you choose to read this novel.
Happy reading! xoxo