This week we looked at war and crisis reporting. Obviously,
war stricken places need reporters to tell the rest of the world what is going
on. But as a journalist, it can be a dangerous part of our job description.
Marie (our lecturer) stressed right from the start – you do
not have to do any job you don’t wish to do. Don’t let any future editors
pressure you into doing something you are uncomfortable with, like reporting in
a warzone. You have to be made of strong
stuff to be able to withstand the conditions, and if you think you aren’t (or
don’t want to find out) then don’t go.
Nobody is ever 100% in a war zone, including journalists.
Even though killing a journalist is considered a war crime by international
law, in war zones there can be a loss of respect for all laws, so even then
nobody is 100% safe.
As a journalist one must be aware of the inherent risks
involved in war reporting, and should be prepared for the experiences and risks
it entails.
The risks for journalists, photographers,
and anyone reporting in a warzone is real, if you do choose to take such an
assignments, certain precautions should be made by ones management:
PREPERATIONS YOUR
EDITIOR SHOULD TAKE:
It is sensible for editors to choose the most emotionally
mature reporters to report in war zones, as often these reporters are moving
from one traumatic scene to the next without any time to process what they have
witnessed. Before a journalist goes to a
warzone, they need to be aware of the possible psychological implications the
experience may have. When they return home, they need to be aware of their
psychological state.
Editors should ensure their staff entering a warzone would
have the adequate safety equipment when they arrive, as well as organise any
guides or translators beforehand. The war journalist should also be covered by
insurance in case of any illness, loss of life or disability due to their
placement in the warzone for coverage.
It is encouraged for press to wear white, as it is the
recognised colour of peace. The
journalist themselves should make themselves familiar with the local customers
and culture, as that may come in handy in a risky situation.
Other traumatic events that may be covered in the career of
a journalist is disasters, severe accidents, health outbreaks and so on.
Editors should always be aware of their journalists’ mental frame of mind, and
be careful not to push them past their limits – it is within the nature of this
career to be constantly on the move to the next big event, but that doesn’t
necessarily mean we are dealing with the mental implications of the previous
story we reported on.
Finally, here is an interesting interview with war photographer and
journalist Chris Hondras leaves us with the chilling reality of reporting in a
war zone – Chris Hondras was killed reporting in Lybia in 2011. The interview
is titled ‘the reality of war reporting’, and Chris Hondras discusses the
importance of war reporting – the dangers of it, working as a journalist and
his own personal journey with reporting in warzones.
He states in the interview that “It's
not really up to me to philosophize about how I wish the conditions on the
ground were for journalists.
To me, the most important thing is figuring out a
way to cover it, which is what war journalists do all over the world."
He is probably most well known for his
photo that he took in 2011, of a five year old Iraqi girl after American troops
mistakenly gunned down her parents at a checkpoint in Tel-Afar, Iraq.
No comments:
Post a Comment