Remember when citizen journalists roamed the Earth?

[Diogenes]

​

He didn't have a degree in journalism. He wasn't a leftist.

But a Pole named Kazimierz Nowak made history. This is his story.

Nowak was born in Stryj, Poland in January 1897.

After serving in WWI, he became an accountant at a local bank, but a economic downturn threw him out of work.

But he could write, so he decided to made a move. He became a traveling journalist.

He had no car. He had no funds to buy train tickets, so Nowak used his bicycle to travel between reporting assignments.

Between 1925 and 1928, Kazimierz cycled around Europe, visiting Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Greece, France, and Germany, selling articles and photos to local newspapers.

After the Great Depression hit, Nowak decided to journey across Africa alone, again via bicycle.

He scraped the fare for a steamer ticket together crossed the Mediterranean. Then he hopped back on his bike.

After leaving Tripoli, Nowak attempted to bicycle across the Sahara. As he wrote in his journal, "The days are tough. It's impossible to ride, and I often have to take my bike on my back to get over a sandy dune."

He traveled from Libya all the way to South Africa, writing stories and selling them to newspapers along the way to support his wife and two children back in Poland.

Nowak had little money and slept in a tent, exposing him to many dangers.

One night he was attacked by a lion while sleeping but survived. Nowak was able to kill the lion during the attack, escaping serious harm.

Because he traveled by bicycle, Nowak saw areas not usually visited by travelers.

He encountered witch doctors in Sudan and pygmies in Rwanda. After traveling through the Congo, he reached Victoria Falls.

When he reached, South Africa, local officials offered him first class passage on a ship back to Europe.

He declined the offer and decided to travel across Africa again.

After his bicycle fell apart in Namibia, a farmer gave him a horse.

He traded the horse for another bike in Angola, before traveling hundreds of miles by boat and on foot.

In Kinshasa, Nowak traveled by bicycle again, all the way to Lake Chad. Not wishing to face the Sahara on a bike again, he traveled by camel for months, finally reaching Algiers in November 1936.

Kazimierz Nowak made it home to Poland in December, where he was hailed as a hero.

He gave lectures to sell-out crowds about his travels in the following months, but he fell very ill from malaria.

He died of pneumonia in October 1937.

A citizen journalist.

​

 

[Diogenes]

Samuel Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, did not have a journalism degree.

He began his career in journalism largely through self-education and practical experience.

Clemens worked as a printer's apprentice and later as a typesetter, which gave him familiarity with the newspaper business.

He then moved into writing for newspapers without any formal journalism education. His career in journalism started in the 1850s in cities like Hannibal, Missouri, and later in Nevada.

@Grok

 

[Diogenes]

Many successful journalists have pursued careers in journalism without obtaining a formal degree in the field.

Here are some notable examples:

• Hunter S. Thompson is known for creating "gonzo journalism." He did not have a journalism degree; instead, his background was quite varied, including stints in the military and working in various writing roles before becoming famous.
• Jon Ronson is a British-American journalist, author, and documentary filmmaker. He studied at the University of Hull but not in journalism; his degree was in Media Studies, which is related but not specific to journalism. His work spans various platforms, including books, films, and radio.
• George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair) was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. Although he did not have a journalism degree, his work in journalism is widely recognized, particularly his essays and his work during the Spanish Civil War.
• Joan Didion was an American author and journalist known for her literary journalism. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in English, not journalism.
• Ta-Nehisi Coates studied journalism at Howard University but did not complete his degree. Despite this, he has become one of the most influential journalists of his time, notably through his work at The Atlantic.
• I.F. Stone was an American investigative journalist whose work was highly respected. He did not have a journalism degree; instead, he was largely self-taught and known for his independent newsletter, I.F. Stone's Weekly.
• Christiane Amanpour has a degree in journalism from the University of Rhode Island, but her initial major was history at the University of New Hampshire before transferring. Her success in journalism is often attributed more to her passion and experience than formal education in the field.
• Fareed Zakaria studied at Yale University and Harvard University, earning degrees in history and international relations. His journalism career began after working in various editorial positions without a journalism degree.
• Matt Taibbi studied at Bard College but not in journalism. He has become well-known for his investigative journalism, particularly for Rolling Stone.

These examples illustrate that a journalism degree is not a prerequisite for success in the field. Many journalists have come from diverse backgrounds, bringing unique perspectives and skills to their reporting.

@Grok