How do you see journalism?
We all see reporters and journalists in the field all the time on tv or social media, but do you really ever think about what they went through for this coverage or information? This makes the circumstances and the dangers they face feel distant and nonexistent. But what they face is very very real. While listening to the global news network Al Jazeera with my dad this morning, I learned of an American reporter who was killed in Ukraine yesterday. Hearing this didn't really resonate with me until a few hours later when I was scrolling monotonously through Tic Tock, and saw a video posted by NBC. It was an interview of another reporter in Ukraine who was explaining what had happened to the other recently deceased reporter who he had been with in the warzone. Hearing the horror and details of the incident being explained by the sobbing reporter really made me think about how little we know of the troubles reporters go through to bring us information.
With all of the unsettling conflict and violence that happens in our world on a daily basis without reporters nobody would care about or even know what was going on. Most people I know do not watch global news or care much for the rest of the world and develop views based solely on what occurs close to home. This makes many unconsciously think of the rest of the world as if they are less important or nonexistent drones. We all have Real feelings and different lives where we experience the virtues of life. This makes listening to unbiased world news and understanding the world around you so important. While many stories have multiple sides it's very important to at least hear the story somehow, because if you do know what the rest of the world is going through you will learn the kind of empathy that reporters feel and the necessity to inform the world or stay informed and help with the struggles. We must all do our part to keep peace and spread love and understanding. This is why reporters are so important and fearless; they reject judgment to share information with a world full of people who wouldn't know anything without them.
All of this thinking brought me to another article by Al Jazeera titled “ impartiality key to good journalism ”. A quote from the article i believe really sums it up well says “Watching British and American journalists cover this brutal conflict not with the blind objectivity that became the point of pride of Western journalism in modern times, but instead using terminology that conveys the humanity and grave reality of the situation on the ground accurately, has been eye-opening, to say the least.” Most news and journalism I have heard in the past few years of my life has been people blaming each other, insane politicians or Covid 19. This all can be very biased, fake and seemingly insensitive. While this horrifying conflict has seemed to bring us all together in a certain sense of empathy and helplessness. We are all sitting in our living rooms or viewing this through a screen, but don't think about how this information is brought to us. There are people risking their lives to inform us and make sure it doesn't go unnoticed.
In the grand scheme of things we are all conscious people going about our daily routines until things are disrupted and we call for change. Without journalism we would all be emotionless drones going through life like we are adrift in nothing. Without the necessary knowledge brought by reporters we learn no empathy for the world and its people, cultures and differences. The deeper you dig the more you learn and understand our world as journalists see it, and why it's worth the risks they take to inform us so we may feel these emotions.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/13/brent-renaud-us-journalist-killed-in-ukraine
REally nicely developed article here. YOu are doing a great job of balancing information and heart. It is great to HEAR YOUR COMPASSION through your writing, as it makes US also want to care more.
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