Satisfied? They’re Not.
intern
By Miriam Welderufael
Imagine this. You are a journalist, eager to inform the world of a great tragedy and how they can assist. Do you just report as a witness giving a heartbreaking testimony or do you get involved?
This is the question that journalists and other media makers in Haiti have had to ask themselves since the earthquake struck earlier this year. Because the magnitude of the tragedies they are seeing have grown, it has become increasingly more difficult to simply stand on the sidelines, observe and report.
During a clip on looters, CNN’s Anderson Cooper saw a young boy who had been hit in the head with a stone amidst the looting chaos, so Cooper took the initiative to help save the young boy, who was covered in blood, by carrying him away from the commotion.
There are a few clips of journalists, like Cooper, who intervene when they are able to, but the clips that really stand out are those of the select doctors turned journalists who are in Port-Au-Prince reporting while giving medical attention to those they can reach.
In a CNN interview, Dr. Nancy Snyderman said, “If I tell the stories through the eyes of a physician and I tell those stories to millions of people, do I help more people in the long run? I guess at the end of the day I have to believe the answer is yes or I shouldn’t be doing this.”
The clips of these doctors conducting surgeries and wrapping up wounds while speaking to the world have truly shown how seriously devastated the country of Haiti is. Everyone’s skills are needed and opting to utilize just one or two of your skill sets, really shouldn’t be an option at all.
You probably have already either tweeted, texted, e-mailed or charged your donation, but more is needed. There are opportunities for you to be like the journalists who are helping in every way they can; donate more money, donate supplies, fundraise, promote or even adopt.
We all have different capabilities, but we all are able to provide something to someone who has lost everything. It’s no longer enough to do the minimum.
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| Posted on January 29, 2010
Comments
Well Written Miri! Blessings
Posted on 2010 02 03 by Akim Galloway
the question about doctor/journalist involvement came up on a recent edition of reliable sources w/host howard kurtz. the question was whether it was ethical for a reporter to step into the story they were covering and how that affects the integrity of the story. whatever the answer is, its a very good question and one that has to be asked in order to measure the parameters that go into good reporting.
Posted on 2010 02 04 by judishi