Some good advice for BBC journalists in the Middle East:
Paul Conroy: “War journalists must avoid being used as propaganda”
The acclaimed war photographer spoke at the Cheltenham Literature Festival about the changing impact of journalism in conflict.
Journalists have a bigger influence on how war is perceived than in years gone by.
Discussing how journalists and photographers cover wars and the pressures they are under, Conroy, who covered Syria with Sunday Times journalist Marie Colvin, said: “Everything is in the instant now, battles have been influenced by the immediacy of information.”
The acclaimed war photographer, who also covered the Balkan conflicts, said it was now impossible for journalists to switch from being with one side to covering the other side of a conflict. It had been possible in the 1990s, but this was no longer the case.
Because of this journalists had to be wary of how they might be used to put forward a biased or inaccurate picture. “What we realised was that you are open to be used for propaganda. What you have to do is double check and get eye witness accounts.”
Really? And I thought it was American journalists that ensured the US forces would never succeed in Vietnam back in the 1960s. They didn’t need to switch from one side to the other to do that.
As to relying on ‘eye-witness’ accounts, it seems to me that the only ‘eyes’ that can be relied on are ones own. Far too much reliance is placed on ‘eye witness’ tweets and YouTube clips that could be sourced from anywhere.
This comes a bit late for Jon Donnison, though. He’s already moved on to safer ground.
Saf…er, being the operative word, in terms of professional credibility:
http://bbcwatch.org/2013/10/17/bbc-trust-esc-rules-no-requirement-to-translate-accurately/
I simply note, with some concern, this line to come from those wonderful folk who already have been nailed, over and over, for ‘the truth wouldn’t fit’:
‘BBC Trust ESC rules: no requirement to translate accurately’
The reason, as no excuse is clearly possible, seems to rest on Mr. Donnison ‘thinking long and hard’ on what his local minders told him, as he spoke/speaks not a word.
Imagine if that were still the case, eh, Jezza?
Maybe journalists should be providing objective commentary on situations before war breaks out?
Either that or just get the hell out of there. Countries have decided to go to war. Evaluate their reasons from afar.
War will always be messy. We don’t really need the nitty gritty. Was the war justified? Who was in the right and who was in the wrong?