Final project - wild card topic

The risks of reporting in tumultuous areas and warzones is something reporters must consider when taking these assignments. lets go back a few years and take a look at Andrey Stenin. Stenin was a russian photojournalist killed in 2014 during conflict in Ukraine, while embedded there he was fleeing the area when his transport came under heavy fire where he was shot.

Stenin

Another unfortunate loss is Michael "Mick" Deane. Mick was in Cairo reporting on conflict there when he was killed by sniper fire in what was called The Rabaa Massacre, which was a terribly violent day for journalists.

Mick Deane

These men knew that where they were reporting was dangerous yet they took these jobs knowing that the information needed to be shared. In 2003, near the start of the war in Iraq, a total of 42 journalists were killed in conflict. The dangers journalists face in conflict is more so now with the use of more sophisticated weaponry. Drone strikes are precise but as with any sort of bombing very indiscriminate as to who is caught in the blast. Reporters Without Borders issued a “Declaration on the safety of journalists and media personnel in situations involving armed conflict,” which was opened for signing on 20 January 2003 and revised on 8 January 2004 as a way to try and safeguard journalists in warzone areas. There are some protections in place such as an international humanitarian law stating that media, even if used for propaganda reasons, can not be a military target with some special exceptions made. The same laws that state the same thing for civilians. Without providing a precise definition of them, humanitarian law distinguishes between two categories of journalists working in conflict zones: war correspondents accredited to the armed forces and “independent” journalists. According to the Dictionnaire de droit international public, the former category comprises all “specialized journalists who, with the authorization and under the protection of a belligerent’s armed forces, are present on the theatre of operations with a view to providing information on events related to the hostilities.”. a great source of info even some ive used here can be found at this site. The question then stands why would someone do this? The uneasy but unavoidable answer is professional reward. More than that there is a certain thrill to being in a place where battle is taking place. there were even reporters riding into little big horn so many years ago. Whatever side you are on in a conflict people will want to know how it went for the same reason we stare at car accidents on the side of the road. There a certain thrill to violence even if we are disgusted we still even on some level want to know the details. That is why these brave men and women risk their lives to go to these hot zones and report there. Courage, luck, and a bit of hubris is what keep them going and they should be celebrated as such.