‘I want to share with the next generation of journalists what I wish I knew 20 years ago’
October 9, 2012 2 Comments
James Rodgers has covered conflicts in Chechnya, Gaza and Iraq for the BBC (Photo: Helena Williams)
Like many former foreign correspondents, James Rodgers, who has covered conflicts in Chechnya, Gaza and Iraq, has written a book based on his experiences. But instead of taking what is fast becoming the regular line of war journalism memoirs – tales of near misses and narrow escapes – Rodger’s latest offering is an academic, in-depth study of the role of journalism in wartime. It is a fitting topic for the post he has taken as lecturer at City University London, one of the world’s leading journalism schools.
Q. Journalism and academia don’t usually go hand in hand. Why did you write an academic book rather than a punchy memoir?
My main motivation is to share with the next generation of journalists what I wish I knew 20 years ago.
Journalists don’t read much about what academics write about, but I used my experience as research material. I wanted to write a book which would give a greater understanding of the process [of war reporting].
Anger in the Nobel Peace Center
September 13, 2012 1 Comment
By Eric Matthies
‘Infidel’ by Tim Hetherington, on display in the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo (Eric Matthies)
Documentary filmmaker Eric Matthies recently visited the ‘In Afghanistan’ exhibition which showcases work by veteran photographers Lynsey Addario and Tim Hetherington’s. Hetherington was killed covering the conflict in Libya last year.
I recently found myself at the doorstep of the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway, staring at a banner over the entry that read ‘In Afghanistan: Tim Hetherington and Lynsey Addario‘. I took my time wandering through. The two great photojournalists’ work was exhibited throughout the main floor of the space. Hetherington’s riveting candid shots of US soldiers contrasted with Addario’s ‘Veiled Rebellion’ series, which portrays Afghani women’s struggle for a just life. Itwas a dramatic representation of photojournalism and unusual to see expressed on such a scale. Often, we get images in a newspaper, on a website, or in a book, whereas this was a well-curated exhibit with quality prints, videos andaccompanying text. It also served as a touching tribute to these two giants of war journalism, one tragically in memoriam.
Read more of this post
Filed under Comment, Guest Posts, INSI Blog Tagged with Afghanistan, conflict reporting, exhibition, In Afghanistan, Lynsey Addario, Nobel Peace Center, Nobel Peace Prize, Oslo, photography, Tim Hetherington, Veiledf Rebellion