I worked off and on with many Western journalists in conflict zones around the world for almost 17 years after my military career.
Many are sadly just warm bodies putting their hands up to go, or afraid to say no when asked. However there are a small group of excellent journalists who excel when covering a conflict while fact finding in a calm, controlled and safe manner. They mostly have a security advisor with them, but it’s really up to them whether they take the professional advice…or not.
Too many are too old, or not fit, or don’t have the temperament for war. It takes a certain type to be reporting from a hostile environment responsibly and safely.
I’ve seen “big names” from TV news make a complete arse of themselves recently from the comfort of my armchair (yes, I’m now an armchair critic), making out what a dangerous situation they’ve got themselves in, yet while lying in a ditch for example, beckoning the camera operator to keep rolling on them, they’ve left their body armour and ballistic helmet back in the vehicle, as they can’t be bothered to wear it! Completely amateur, completely stupid, and completely dangerous…and if they (which many have already) get themselves into bother, it’s others who have to risk their lives to get them to safety.
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am…comes to mind.
However, putting these Western journalists to one side for a moment, inside the Gaza strip, there are a handful of journalists working for Western networks and Regional/local networks who are doing a dual role of daily news gathering while providing safe shelter, food and water for themselves and their families, I would guess having to move location often.
One such individual who I would like to bring to everyone’s attention is an extremely brave yet humble man named Rushdi Abualouf…his reporting under severe duress for the BBC puts those Western journalists “dodging rockets” being taken out by the Iron Dome inside Israel to shame.
When I was in the military I saw my fair share of those chasing awards…some should have literally been shot at dawn instead of what they have on their chest on Remembrance Day…they’re not many from my time thank goodness, but they know who they are, as I’ve spoken with them.
So it came at no shock to me when I would catch a journalist doing the same, wanting to chase awards for TV news gathering.
If Rushdi and his like inside the Gaza strip today don’t receive the top International war correspondents or news gathering awards for this year, then in my view they’re not worth giving out at all.
Thinking of all those great journalists inside conflict areas today, who do the job while remaining humble and are part of a team…from the correspondent, the camera operator, the producer, to the fixer and the drivers, there is no I in team!
I wish Rushdi and his team, his family and all the innocent civilians of all sides the safest of days ahead.
Bob Shepherd 