Sounds of war will be
heard and soldiers will be matching in platoons and sections ready to
battle. As they aim to attack, there
will be a man with a camera ready to report.
It might sound silly, a man holding a camera and the other a gun but
that it is his work. Though inside him,
there is fear after knowing that death might come across.
Christine Amanpour, James
Wright Foley, Gills, Brabo, Hammerl and Steven Sotloff are a number of
Journalists who participated in numerous wars and made a wonderful coverage in
it. In spite that, journalists in wars
do a wonderful coverage and people enjoy their work but they face a lot of
challenges, especially when they come across an opponent that is opposed
strongly.
One of journalist’s
photos (Ronald Haeberle) taken at My
Lai which helped expose the massacre four years after it occurred. This is kind of work which may put a
journalist in trouble!
A good example of journalists who face
opposition in the world during wars, are from United States of America though
other nation like France, Britain and many other face the same.
The challenges that
journalists face today especially in the battlefield are like been kidnapped,
tortured, humiliated, detained, injured and even death. These challenges have
brought fear to many journalists and reduce participation in making coverage in
wars, and numerous threaten issues.
Different reports have
been presented on numerous kidnappings to journalist in wars and their home
land. An example is the report from “The
Independent” on John Cantilie (a video and photojournalist) who has been doing
his coverage in a battle of Isis. The
report states “John Cantlie, held by Isis for almost two years since he
disappeared while covering the conflict in Syria in 2012, the third Briton
confirmed to held by the group”
The aim of the
kidnappings which the opposed group do, is to threaten the foreign nations
withdraw their armies, or get a chance of negotiations based on their
interests. But also we see another
kidnapping to a United States of America journalist named David Stephenson
Rohde, the New York Times. He was
kidnapped by numbers of Taliban in November 2008, but successes to escape in
2009. Also a german-American journalists
Michael Scott Moore who was kidnapped in Somalia two-and a-half year ago while
researching a book on piracy.
In spite we have seen
journalist kidnapped but there many others who went missing and there are many
others who keep missing every day. This
behavior is not only experienced in war countries, but also in many nations
which seems to be unstable. A good
example of journalists who have been reported is Reda Helal, Cairo an editor
with Egypt’s semiofficial daily A-Ahram, went missing since August 11,
2003. It is said “Helal, considered
controversial by some because of his outspoken support for the US-led war in
Iraq was last seen entering his home in the capital, Cairo, on the afternoon he
disappeared. Local journalists say
there is little evidence pointing to who kidnapped him, or if he was
kidnapped.” CPJ report, though they still continue to investigate the case.
Another report is of the
missing of Guy-Andre’ Kieffer, Freelance in April 16, 2004 at Abidjan. The report say “ Kieffer, one of the few
foreign investigate reporters still based in Ivory Coast, was last seen on April
16, according to local and international press report. In the weeks prior to his disappearance,
Kieffer received death threats, according to his family and friends, who fear
that he has been killed. The journalist
has both French and Canadian citizenship”
Kidnapping and missing
are not the only case of journalists in war areas, their home lands or in
foreign land. There are many other
challenges like been tortured. This
evidence by the testimony made by Theo Padnos, how he was kidnapped, tortured
and later own released. “In October
2012, however, when I was first kidnapped, I used to sit in my cell….In those
first days, my captors laughed as they beat me.
Sometimes they pushed me to the floor, seized hold of a pant leg or the
scruff of my jacket and dragged me down the hospital corridor.”
There many others stories
of journalists been tortured like that we have seen above. Jack Hill, a Times Photographer also witnessed
been caught and beaten during his coverage in Syria. Gills, James Foley and Brabo also witnessed
been beaten during pro-Gadafi period where as their fellow was killed in the
time of the captured.
Death to journalists has
now been a common story, especially in a battle fields. As they have been killed ssssevery day
without humanity in spite the fact that fighters know journalists have no power
to fight them back.
Though some of the death
of journalists are accidentally like the death of Paul Moran, Australian camera
man during his coverage in Northern Iraq on a suicide Bomb, But still there are
many others which cannot be called accidentally but called initially. An example is the beheading of several journalists. This has mostly faced American journalist
when they head to foreign countries to do numerous coverage. A good example is beheading of Steven Joel
Sotloff (America-Israel Jurnalist) who
was kidnapped in Aleppo, Syria and held captive by militarist from the ISIL and
then beheaded on 2/09/2014.
Another beheaded is of
James Foley, American citizen, also Hammerl, Anton Skiba (assist CNN film crew)
they were all killed after been kidnapped, Hammerl was killed in pro-Gaddaffi,
in Libya.
A lot of journalists in
the World have been dying every day both in wars and their home lands. Some found dead, without explanation like
Issa Ngumba found dead in Forest at Kakonko, Another report state “On 19th
April, four underfed men were found in a field in a no man’s land on the
Turkish border with Syria. They were
blind- folded and handcuffed and one hand a long grey beard. It was quickly discovered that they were
French journalists-Nicolas Henin, Pierre Torres, Edouardd Elias and Didier
Francois.”
These are some of the
journalists’ sufferings while doing their job!
And from what I have seen here, the most enemies of the journalists are
politicians and leaders! Those with bad habit! They hate journalists because
journalists expose their bad behaviors and actions. So they kidnap, torture, humiliate and sometimes
even kill them so as to silent them. These have brought fear to many journalists
and as the result reduce their participation in making coverage in wars, and
numerous threaten issues. Since there are
different International Organizations responsible for protecting different
professionals, including journalists! I believe is time for them to start getting
busy! The situation is not good; it may last at causing people to hate journalism
field while it is very important.
CAN YOU IMAGINE THE WORLD
WITHOUT JOURNALISTS!?
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