When one of our editors learned of this, he called and asked me if we were okay. I told him that we were fine. I told him, in fact, that I thought if journalists couldn’t cry over a story like Oklahoma City, they shouldn’t be covering such stories at all.
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Lisa, this is a very insightful piece. I know how difficult it is to report in the midst of chaos and try to get a good story and not seem like an insensitive jerk. It is very difficult.
Bravo.
Jon Van
#1 Posted by Jon Van, CJR on Fri 6 Nov 2009 at 11:51 PM
This article gave real insight into the balance needed to interview victims without doing more harm than good. Thanks, Ed Smith conductknockoutbroadcastinterviews.com/blog
#2 Posted by Ed Smith, CJR on Sun 8 Nov 2009 at 10:18 AM
"I told him, in fact, that I thought if journalists couldn’t cry over a story like Oklahoma City, they shouldn’t be covering such stories at all."
This sounds good, like some kind of comment on how reports need to keep their humanity, or empathize with victiims to the point of physical outburst. But upon reflection I'm not entirely sure what it means, or, from a journalistic perspective why it's true or a good thing. Perhaps the catharsis of tears enables a reporter to get on with his or her job? I'm just not certain why, if a journalist goes to Oklahoma City and can't cry, he should be taken off the story.
#3 Posted by Roger Schulman, CJR on Sun 8 Nov 2009 at 01:56 PM
Roger, I didn't cry over most of the many disasters I covered and most reporters don't. I simply meant that if journalists become so hardened that they can't be moved by such tragedies, they probably shouldn't be covering them. Tears certainly are not necessary. Empathy is.
#4 Posted by Lisa Anderson, CJR on Sun 8 Nov 2009 at 02:07 PM
Great Post,
Thanks
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