The next few years included a lot of needle pricks and chemotherapy, but I can only remember a few vague details. I would often race down the hospital hallways with an IV in my arm, occasionally running too fast and needing a second poke. I always chose the Sesame Street band-aids and enjoyed the quick rides into the CAT scan. The Pac Man arcade game was always a nice bonus, too.

It is amazing how one event, which I hardly remember, has changed my entire perception on life. Since then, several of my friends and family members have lost their own battles to cancer, and I struggle to understand why my battle was any different.

My life as a cancer survivor has been a constant search for purpose, and I’ve found that purpose through journalism. By using my skills as a journalist, I can help cover important issues and give back to the world that gave me life. It’s a profession where I can use my storytelling abilities to change the way people understand and interact with the world around them.

The journalism profession is facing its own struggle for survival. Many mainstream news organizations are now counting page views in place of meaningful impressions. In better times, I would have graduated and applied for an entry-level reporting position. I could have started in a small market and worked my way through the system, but many of those opportunities are no longer available.

In August, 2009, I founded Ewen Media, a multimedia production company that uses interactive multimedia to share meaningful stories. Its mission is to use purpose-driven journalism to explore the world in its current state and the world that it could become.

I am definitely taking a risk. In three months, my student loans will arrive in the mail and I will likely be crushed by financial burden. However, I am prepared to move forward knowing that I am a fighter, willing to take big risks and make bold decisions, in a desperate attempt to protect the profession that I love.

The future of journalism will be strong because thousands of young journalists are willing to follow their hearts and pursue a profession much greater than themselves. 20 years from now, I am proud to know that my colleagues and I will be the ones who ran toward the industry while all others were running out. Together, we will form a “profession of the passionate” and forever change the world.

To learn me about McKenna Ewen, please visit his Web site at http://ewenmedia.com or follow @McKennaEwen on Twitter.

I’ll see you on the other side.

Journalism isn’t done to satisfy market demand or to sell sneakers. It’s done to serve a public that exists within a particular space, whether that space is the corner store or a corner of the Web.

So while we debate business models and raise the question “Yeah, but how do we make money?” at the sight of every innovation, we have to remember to keep telling the stories that matter. And that means adapting, because you can’t tell 2010’s stories with 1950’s technology and attitudes.

The new stuff is more fun, anyway.

Utopian flying machines envisioned by the French in the 1890s. Remember how successful those were?

Worried about getting a job in journalism? Wait five to ten years.

According to Alex Boese, author of Hippo Eats Dwarf, “that always seems to be the time horizon for the utopian World of Tomorrow,” the day when the Internet will “usher in a golden age of peace and harmony.”

So wait around for a few years for that Techno-Utopia to arrive and journalism will be all fixed again, right?

The truth is, none of us can predict where journalism will be in five years. Nor can we predict what tools will be available for readers to receive information. Technology, while useful in enhancing the journalist’s craft, isn’t its lifesaver.

That’s not to say you should become a Luddite. By all means, embrace the new tools available to you. Reach out to readers using social media. Use video to enhance the visual experience. Embed links to lead readers to external sources of information.

But don’t become dependent on a single piece of software. Hone in on a skill, not a platform. This was one of the most important things I learned at Poynter.

As a designer, the demise of the print newspaper is particularly frightening. I used to wonder what would happen if all publications suddenly went online-only, ending the careers of journalists who specialized in designing the print product. How would I ever get involved in news design then?

But news design doesn’t stop at the print product. Online Readers need help finding information, too. You can SEO all you want, but that won’t mean a thing if your users can’t even navigate the homepage.

When I realized this, I became interested in adapting print news design to the web. And with that interest, I discovered an endless wealth of knowledge online about interactive graphics and user interfaces. That wealth of information only keeps growing.

Never stop learning. There are thousands of tutorials out there, ready to help you learn how to use any platform.

And that’s why today’s journalists should never stop learning. Understanding how to use new communication technologies as they emerge is essential for journalists to keep their jobs.

But resist the urge to become a Techno-Utopian. Because at the heart of journalism is good storytelling, no matter what platform it’s delivered on.

Back then, journalism students were required to memorize the creed in its entirety. Those days — thankfully — are gone, but today it’s arguably harder than ever to believe, especially if you also believe in the value of a big salary and job security.

And, of course, professional news organizations have more competition than ever before. Blogs and aggregators draw readers away, and they make it harder for professional organizations to profit from the journalism they produce.

Thankfully, there are people who still believe in the profession of journalism. I’ve met them here at the University of Missouri, working in professional newsrooms and at the Poynter College Fellowship. They’re entering the profession at the worst time possible, and they know it — and they’re excited about it.

They — and I — get a chance to revitalize this profession. We’ll bring it back to its roots of engaging storytelling and watchdog reporting. Meanwhile, we’ll adapt to this Internet age, looking for new ways to tell our stories keep the important role we play in society.

When Walter Williams wrote his creed, I’m not sure he knew how relevant it would be a hundred years later. Today, believing in the profession of journalism is as important than it has ever been. But judging by the aspiring journalists I’ve met, the profession is in good hands.

Before moving to the Midwest with my overly hyperactive dog, Lola, I grew up in Northeastern Pennsylvania and have always been fortunate enough to receive endless love and support from my family and friends as I pursue my dreams. I am constantly documenting my life and surroundings, blogging, fixing up a swanky 1970’s style house, bargain shopping, reading, playing guitar, learning new crafts, running around looking for stories, day dreaming, getting lost and torturing Lola with a laser pointer. To me, every day is an adventure.

But in those hours we poured all the energy we possibly could into defining our field. In clusters of five computers, every single person explored an uncharted digital realm. For me, it was SLR photography and editing. Marantz recording and audio editing. Others swore under their breath at Sound Slides or stared at the Final Cut Pro screen for tens of hours. Several got intimate with the tutorial guru Lynda.

We were working in the grey areas, thriving on all the hard questions, proving to ourselves we could do this new journalism.

I’m a big fan of a two-word phrase that I think describes our struggles and successes: Delicious ambiguity.

Maybe for some the ambiguity facing journalism — and the world — is overwhelming. But think about the experienced faculty we learned from at Poynter. Think about the mentors we have, those we found and the ones we’ll seek out. They’re excited to help.

So, all of us youngsters can turn that overwhelming ambiguity into opportunity.

Talk to any of us. We’ll share. Whatever topic you’ll ask about, there’s a common theme: Ask questions, Google things, seek answers out. It sounds obvious, but at my college paper last semester, I literally didn’t touch anything except a pen and a keyboard.

There’s no reason for it.

Now, going beyond the basics of a story is pivotal. In his final presentation Aaron Montoya strung together a series of pictures and audio that made us connect, maybe without any personal background at all, to a couple dealing with a mother’s Alzheimer’s. That’s multimedia storytelling done right.

It’s hard to find coaches to support such storytelling. We’ve been incredibly fortunate to have brilliant faculty and visitors at Poynter. But hey, now we’re vessels of their knowledge. Insist that we tilt slightly toward you and something useful will probably pour out.

Since the fellowship ended we’ve continued to question, probe, and occasionally answer in the effort to learn ever more.

After dozens of hours of learning, reporting and storytelling, we’ve seen just how rewarding it is to tackle that delicious ambiguity.

We hope you’ll join us.

In order to move forward, sometimes you need to take a step back.

No one knows exactly what the future of journalism holds.

No one knows exactly what software you’ll need to know, what hardware you’ll need to use or which online networks you’ll need to join in the coming years.

If you step back, those things don’t represent the future – they are simply tools. The tools are important, but we often fixate on them.

What matters is understanding where we’ve been, where we are now and where we’re going.

There is no specific list of skills. Yes, keep up. Stay ahead of the curve. But don’t lose focus.

With that in mind, I think the most important traits for someone who qualifies as the future of journalism are more general.

In no particular order, those traits include a desire and ability to:

-Tell a story
-Tell the truth
-Listen
-Summarize
-Prioritize
-Synthesize
-Ask questions
-Dig
-Be dogged and relentless
-Provide context
-Constantly pursue knowledge and understanding
-Be comprehensive
-Think critically
-Work ethically
-Cope with uncertainty
-Adapt
-Appreciate new ideas
-Innovate
-Teach
-Connect
-Interact with the audience
-Start and participate in conversations
-Be part of a community
-Be mobile
-Work with others
-Relate
-Know it’s not about you

What would you add, or remove?

I’ll admit I had some doubts. I wondered if I should stick it out.  If I should wait it out in graduate school. Maybe even transfer my skills to law or politics.

I tried to stay optimistic about journalism and my future in it. I got rejected. I got discouraged. I blamed the crummy economy.

I waited tables while searching for full-time work. That didn’t help. I got a look of disgust from one customer who discovered my “dream” to be a journalist. “All journalists are liars,” he said, ranting on and on about his dislike for “all media.” Another worried about my future, suggesting my skills would be useful in public relations at a nearby hospital. Others suggested it would be a “perfect time” to return to school. Not particularly inspiring for a young journalist like me, trying to break in.

Even my mother encouraged me to pursue another career. Maybe I should have listened to Mom in the first place; I’d make a decent living as a doctor, lawyer or engineer. Maybe it was time to be realistic, not naïve.

But then Poynter came along and saved the day.

All my doubts and worries disappeared. I was honored they considered, even picked me as one of 39 fellows to study at a school dedicated to teaching and inspiring journalists, both old and new. My two weeks at Poynter helped remind me why I became a journalist in the first place.

To give a voice to the voiceless. It was a common answer for many fellows when Poynter’s Butch Ward questioned why we got into journalism. It is more than a job, but a mission. For me, a calling.

I met a substance abuse counselor for the Salvation Army in 2005. He revealed his life as a former alcohol and drug addict. I told his story with words and photos in my community college newspaper. He thanked me for giving him relief for his past actions. Imagine a stereotypical leather-jacketed, bandanna-wearing biker saying “thank you” to puny, young me.

I realized I gave him a voice and it might help others by sharing his story. I continued to give a voice to many others, who wanted to be heard.

For two weeks, I was surrounded by 38 aspiring young journalists, all of whom were deeply passionate about the craft. We had instructors like Al Tompkins and Sara Quinn, who expected nothing but highest standards from us. We had a nearly three-hour class discussion with Kelly McBride about ethics in a digital age. Our guest speakers included journalists from USA Today and three Pulitzer Prize winners from the St. Petersburg Times.

How can that not reinvigorate my passion for journalism?

We each produced a multimedia news package on deadline. It made me optimistic about the future of journalism. Newspapers may be folding. News organizations may be cutting staff. But journalism is more alive than ever. News is evolving to the Internet. We just need to find a way to make online news profitable.

Until then, local news is still important. People still care about what goes on in city council and school board meetings. Moms want to read about their kids’ little league teams. Neighbors want to know who won the state fair’s rhubarb pie contest. Surely, you can’t get such news at any national outlet. Only your local news organization.

I’m excited about the changes our industry is going through. There are more opportunities to tell stories than before. We can connect with our audiences through blogs, Facebook and Twitter. We can produce interactive pieces using a combination of words, audio, photos and video.

The journalism industry needs young folks like me. We offer a different perspective. We take risks. We innovate. But even in a digital age, good old-fashioned gumshoe reporting like fact-checking and digging for truth still applies. If we don’t continue telling stories, who will?

Journalists don’t have a stellar reputation. We’re often unappreciated and underpaid. So why do I keep doing this?

I can’t imagine doing anything other than journalism. I meet new people everyday, learn new things, see events unfold and document history. It’s not a nine-to-five job, but I don’t sit around, waiting for my shift to be over.

At my internships, I always came in early and left late. I always had a wide grin on my face. Veteran journalists usually asked me why I was so upbeat. Why not? I’m doing what I love.

I’ll keep smiling. I’m hoping maybe my enthusiasm will be infectious. Maybe journalists will stop crying the “sky is falling,” and instead, team up to find solutions to help save the journalism industry.

Maybe, just maybe — I can make a difference.

The whispers of “online publications” and “print is dead” panicked me at first. I wanted to cling to my columns and grids, my pull quotes and custom fonts.  Breaking through that barrier, for me, was liberating.  I may not be up to film editing at this point, but I’m off the page and onto the screen, a step most of us have now taken (some more tentatively than others).

Telling stories, presenting facts, facilitating conversation.  These are the reasons we, as journalists and designers, get up day after day and put in the hours it takes to deliver news with impact.  We may not always have our name in print.  We may not always be able to utilize the gamut of our design abilities. But we stay true to our jobs as providers of information.

The Fellows I met at the Poynter Institute had more in common with me than aspirations in journalism and design: they had comfort zones, personal fortés, self-imposed limitations. Yet they were willing to step outside their boundaries, to learn and push and grow. And they succeeded with flying colors.

We now know how to tell stories the way they need to be told, whether through sound, film, photography, web interactivity, or a combination thereof.  Do we all love print publications? Yeah. Do we want them to stick around? Of course. But none of us can say for certain what the future of journalism holds; most of us are just hoping to be able to unfold a newspaper in 15 years, to share it with our kids instead of waxing nostalgic about its obsolescence.

Whatever happens to the format of journalism, the bottom line is that there will always be the need for solid communication, for clear and compelling story-telling.

I think we’ll be just fine.