I love international news. It’s through foreign corresponding that journalists get to really do their job. It’s also the type of journalist I want to be. We are based in a different country, viewed as complete outsiders. In fact we are downright the competition. Imagine the indignation you would feel, here in the States if a journalist from say.. .. .. Italy got some major news scoop before you did, and had the better story, that you, a native American. So is the situation, as I imagine it for Americans overseas.
But what a job it is. Language barriers, so many other hurdles to negotiate than what a journalist would have here at home, and of course different types of deadlines …
Hmm, deadlines.
For some journalists, that’s exactly what they become. Dead.
This morning on AP (That’s the Associated Press) I read an article from Russia, about a human rights lawyer and a journalist who were shot after coming out of a news conference in the middle of Moscow back in January.
Here is an excerpt from the AP article. “Russia has seen a string of contract-style killings of human rights workers and journalists in recent years. Few of the killings are ever solved. In the rare case when people suspected of taking part in a killing are brought to trial, the mastermind is rarely identified.”
Say it with me… Wow.
If you’re curious about the rest of the case, you can read the article right here on our Chronicle website.. But I’ll just give you the link. Richland Chronicle
Do you know since 1992, 760 journalists have been killed? Thirty three in 2009 alone?
Say it with me… Oh My Gosh!
Committee to Protect Journalists is doing something about it,
I suppose anyone reading this will think I’m nuts for wanting to do this. (It seems I’m not alone in this field though; here is a link to a story from College Media Matters Journalism Enrollment is Up which goes into why enrollment in journalism has spiked. Journalism School Enrollment is Booming | Edu in Review Blog is another one. )
Especially foreign corresponding, I mean who wants to uproot themselves and go to another country, that probably doesn’t want us, has their own news service, and it won’t get read back here at home since world news has dropped off the radar, or has become so centralized to Iraq, or war zones or mere blips on the ticker tape.
Regardless, I want to be an overseas journalist. I’ve learnt or plan on learning enough languages to make access easier plus I have a German background to gain a small entry way into Europe.
Just you watch, I’ll make world news worth reading again.
I just hope it won’t be because I got my head blown off.
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Anything of interest to community college students; please blog with care and common sense. Pretend your teachers are reading this - they probably are!
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