Journalism: What Are The Risks?

If I were to ask you to consider what it is to be a journalist, what would you think of? Would you immediately consider the perks; the ‘pros’ of a lifestyle associated with freelance hours, worldwide travel and access all areas? Or would you think of the deadlines, the supposed lack of security and the dog eat dog mentality of the media? Whilst it’s fair to say these are considerable drawbacks of the trade, by no means are these the worst things a budding journalist can expect to endure.

One primary example is journalists who venture into areas of conflict as war reporters, done so in what writer for The Globe and Mail Anthony Feinstein regards as a bid to “open our eyes to a contemporary history we can no longer ignore.” These journalists are risking it all by choosing to work in some of the most dangerous situations, at times to devastating effect. James Foley, a 40 year old journalist kidnapped by Islamic State militants in 2012 whilst covering the civil war in Syria, was killed. James, or more fondly referred to by those who knew him well as Jim, was beheaded. His death, videoed and posted on YouTube for the world to see, was no doubt a warning to journalists attempting to overstep their mark on a territory which no longer withstands the code of conduct that once allowed journalists to work in conflicted areas - without the fear of confrontation from its inhabitants. 

In 2013, Reporters Without Borders claimed there had been “a significant increase in the abductions of journalists” in addition to “a slight bump in threats and physical attack,” making modern journalism the most dangerous it has been to date. In the last year alone, 71 journalists were killed, with 39% of those within zones of conflict such as Syria and Somalia. 87 journalists were kidnapped, with 2,160 threatened or physically attacked. The stats horrify me; and I can only hope that these will serve as a reminder that safety precautions are vital for our war reporters visiting zones of conflict in the future.

Mentality is a factor at risk as a journalist also. Distressing environments and war trauma can result in PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), “a syndrome that can arise after an individual is exposed to a life-threatening stressor” (Feinstein, 2014), revealing that the damage is not always so obvious from the outset. 

Whilst it can be said that these are consequences of war journalism, are the risks so prevalent in day to day news reporting? Of course, journalists who place themselves willingly into the scene of a crime, incident or confrontation are at risk of harm. But, to me, the risk is minimal in comparison. Whilst war reporting is not something I personally envisage myself pursuing (but hey, never say never, right?) I have a huge respect for those who do, and have, risked it all to benefit their audience.