Hell, another victory for hotel journalism

När jag var i Haiti i februari träffade jag en del krigskorrespondenter, av den sorten som flackar mellan världens oroshärdar. Irak, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Colombia, Israel/Palestina, Rwanda, Sudan ... ja, ni vet hela räckan länder.

Tja, just nu är det inte så många av dem som reser till Irak, förstås. (Gissa vad det kostar per dag att försäkra journalister som far till Bagdad just nu? Svar kommer senare här på bloggen. Ledtråd: inget som ligger inom en frilansjournalists budget, kan jag säga ... fast det är det å andra sidan inte mycket som gör.)

En av dessa var Hansjaap Melissen, "roving reporter" för Radio Netherlands och numera dess Mellanösterkorrespondent i Amman. Han var i Haiti i februari 2004, när det var som oroligast där, och hade nu kommit tillbaka för att skildra valet. Vi hängde en del, satt och drog stories på verandan såklart, men vi gjorde också en utflykt till Jacmel bara för att komma bort från Port-au-Prince en dag.

Idag fick jag mailet nedan från honom, och jag tänkte att någon annan ville läsa delar av vår korrespondens. Jag tycker det har allmänintresse. Det är nämligen just reportrar som Hans som kommer att tvingas begränsa sig själva på grund av vad som hänt. Och det är tragiskt inte minst för de holländska nyhetskonsumenterna.

Har mycket svårt att släppa detta med Martin Adler och kommer säkert att skriva mer om det som hänt...

/Gunilla

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Hey Gunilla,

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... I read the news about Martin Adler. I remember we talked about him – as I met him in Haiti when Aristide was ousted. Must have been quite a shock in Swedish journalism. It was to me – I met him in several different countries over the years.

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I am tempted to make a joke about the fact that it's much safer to not leave hotels.....;) But I've made too many already...

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Hans

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Hi Hans,

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Well, I have to say it has made me very, very, very sad to hear the news about how brutally Martin Adler was executed. I immediately realized it was him when the news came out that "a Swedish camera man" working for British Channel Four had been killed – he's the only one it could possibly have been.

As I'm sure I told you, I have never met Martin Adler – but I've been very impressed by reading stories of him and articles about him. He was one of few Swedish reporters who held international class (it's like, he and Nils Horner, the Swedish Radio correspondent in Asia – well, there are others, too, I guess).
He really seemed to have a passion for bringing a voice to people in the third world (such as child soldiers in Liberia, child laborers in Pakistan, women who had their faced destroyed by acid in Bangladesh, and so on), and for going to places where not everyone goes.
And, apparently, he was soooo security-conscious and experienced. So, if he can't survive this monkey business, I don't know who could... Very, very sad. I've been shivering all day!

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Yes, I think Swedish journalists are chocked, only that it's Swedish midsummer = major holiday, so everyone is away and out today... Also, I am sure he was well-known among [the few] Swedish war correspondents and roving reporters, but he wasn't really a household name among journalists in large, nor among the household.

So it might be more of a chock to people like yourself, who do the same type of job as he does – hell, I mean, did! – and realize the implications. Yes, another victory for the cosy "hotel journalism"...

I am in New York – haven't done any adventurous field trips at all since Haiti, for no apparent reason.
The closest I come is a trip to the Joint Readiness Training Centre at Fort Polk in Louisiana (that I am currently writing a story on for a new Norwegian news weekly on. Actually quite good – you get the action and a great story, but not the risks... ;-)

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Let's keep in touch, good luck with [Amman] – and, be careful out there!

Gunilla