Seeing the video about Dan Eldon not only made me sick to my stomach with what’s happened in the world, but the stakes we need to go to to educate people. It makes me feel two emotions: One, in which I’m glad that my career goal in journalism dosen’t involve that kind of “field work” Two, in which I am ashamed of myself to not be providing for the human race that way, when I am perfectly prepared and capable. But when are people really prepared and ready for that? I got goose-bumps just sitting in my chair jotting down notes about it. I suppose that after watching the documentary, journalism has been shown to me in a different light. It’s now not only a way to get your name on a page many many people read. It’s not to get important issues more in-depth, or to even try and explain to people exactly what happened. It’s more-so put out in the world to open humanities eyes. So people are inter-connected with thoughts, ideas, situations, even trends. It’s like cultural diffusion with a camera and pen. We as human beings have shut ourselves off from the rest of the world once we find where we “belong”. Journalism crosses those barriers and borders, takes pieces of people’s lives who have more or less, or just do things differently than you and I, and places it in your home. The more sharp of a slap to the face the better, in my opinion.
“The stories are told to have impact, to make you question the way you do things, or the way things are. That’s why we participate in journalism.” - Savannah Jean Goole (Yes, quote me on that)
Journalists routinely visit some of the most dangerous and war-stricken places in the world. They often risk life and limb in order to get the photograph or the story. Most consider it their duty to show the public the atrocities committed around the globe, and to see if they can do anything about it. But is it even worth it in the end? Is there value to “dying for the story”? I personally think that what these journalist do everyday is heroic. Without them, we would know virtually nothing of the occurrences around the globe. They are especially crucial in war zones, and they can bring the truth of a situation out for people around the world. Yes, perhaps they are a bit crazy. But they are also motivated, and rightly so, to do what is right. For them, that means covering the story, at nearly any cost. The service that they perform is invaluable to the integrity of our world. They have the ability to affect change that most of us only dream about. Without the knowledge of what is happening around the world, nothing would change. Genocides wouldn’t be stopped and, as citizens, we would no longer be able to make informed choices based on the goings-on in our global community. For instance, in Sarajevo, the journalists just kept showing the atrocities and reporting on it, and eventually UN peacekeepers were able to go in and stop the genocide which was taking place. In the past year, 13 journalists have died covering various war and conflict zones. Most have been killed in Iraq and Algeria. I cannot judge for them or for their families whether or not they died in vain. I can say, however, that I am extremely grateful to them, because without them, we wouldn’t know half of what we do about the world around us.
BFA, Drama (Directing) Carnegie-Mellon University
MA, SUNY-Brockport, English Literature
MA, University of Rochester, English Literature, Ph.D candidacy.
Community theatre director--Shipping Dock Theatre, JCC, Blackfriars, RAPA, Rochester Shakespeare Players,
former GeVa stage manager
2 comments:
Seeing the video about Dan Eldon not only made me sick to my stomach with what’s happened in the world, but the stakes we need to go to to educate people. It makes me feel two emotions:
One, in which I’m glad that my career goal in journalism dosen’t involve that kind of “field work”
Two, in which I am ashamed of myself to not be providing for the human race that way, when I am perfectly prepared and capable. But when are people really prepared and ready for that? I got goose-bumps just sitting in my chair jotting down notes about it. I suppose that after watching the documentary, journalism has been shown to me in a different light. It’s now not only a way to get your name on a page many many people read. It’s not to get important issues more in-depth, or to even try and explain to people exactly what happened. It’s more-so put out in the world to open humanities eyes. So people are inter-connected with thoughts, ideas, situations, even trends. It’s like cultural diffusion with a camera and pen. We as human beings have shut ourselves off from the rest of the world once we find where we “belong”. Journalism crosses those barriers and borders, takes pieces of people’s lives who have more or less, or just do things differently than you and I, and places it in your home. The more sharp of a slap to the face the better, in my opinion.
“The stories are told to have impact, to make you question the way you do things, or the way things are. That’s why we participate in journalism.”
- Savannah Jean Goole
(Yes, quote me on that)
Journalists routinely visit some of the most dangerous and war-stricken places in the world. They often risk life and limb in order to get the photograph or the story. Most consider it their duty to show the public the atrocities committed around the globe, and to see if they can do anything about it. But is it even worth it in the end? Is there value to “dying for the story”?
I personally think that what these journalist do everyday is heroic. Without them, we would know virtually nothing of the occurrences around the globe. They are especially crucial in war zones, and they can bring the truth of a situation out for people around the world. Yes, perhaps they are a bit crazy. But they are also motivated, and rightly so, to do what is right. For them, that means covering the story, at nearly any cost. The service that they perform is invaluable to the integrity of our world. They have the ability to affect change that most of us only dream about. Without the knowledge of what is happening around the world, nothing would change. Genocides wouldn’t be stopped and, as citizens, we would no longer be able to make informed choices based on the goings-on in our global community. For instance, in Sarajevo, the journalists just kept showing the atrocities and reporting on it, and eventually UN peacekeepers were able to go in and stop the genocide which was taking place.
In the past year, 13 journalists have died covering various war and conflict zones. Most have been killed in Iraq and Algeria. I cannot judge for them or for their families whether or not they died in vain. I can say, however, that I am extremely grateful to them, because without them, we wouldn’t know half of what we do about the world around us.
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