Currently I have two lives: one as a journalism student, the other as an animal attendant.

In the world away from writing, learning and chasing stories, I look after dogs, cats, guinea pigs and rats at my local shelter, cleaning, feeding and showing these homeless animals some TLC before they finally are adopted. All of the animals touch my heart, but none more so than the greyhound.

The ban on greyhound racing in NSW made me feel a bright spark of hope for the first time in years; it was a sense of relief that the needless slaughter was finally being openly condemned. But as a budding journalist, it struck me at just how strongly relieved I felt.

Was it okay to believe so strongly in a topic that I would one day possibly have to write about, without bias? Were there other journalists out there, just like me, who struggled to write balanced stories about topics they felt so strongly about? Interestingly, the more articles I read, the more it struck me that there were journalists showing their bias. Was this just a matter of sloppy journalism, or a bias that is difficult to hide?

I suppose that everyone has some sort of history that will impact his or her writing and in the end I cannot change what I have learnt, what I have stood up for, and what my principles are. However, a journalist’s job is to report on the facts of the matter and when the time comes, I will do this.

I will do this because in the end, the evidence of any story will speak for itself. I will seek both sides of the story and write in a balanced manner so that readers can make informed decisions.

Have you ever had a conflict with morals that you thought could affect your writing?