THE GOOD AND BAD OF JOURNALISM
It is amazing how the highs and lows of journalism can happen in a very short space of time, but in this last few weeks that is exactly what happened.
It started with ISIS and Japanese freelancer Kenji Goto. Goto was being held captive by ISIS/Islamic State/ISIL - choose your own title - after he went to Syria to rescue his friend Haruna Yukawa. He was there literally a couple of days before ISIS got him. It was believed that ISIS were willing to negotiate his freedom (and that of a Jordanian pilot) by way of a prisoner exchange for a failed suicide bomber on death row in Jordan. It never happened. Kenji Goto was killed and it came to light that the pilot had already been killed more than a month ago. In Jordan and Japan we have anger and grief from friends and family of both men.
Then we have the good news. On 1 February 2015 after 400 days in jail, Al Jazeera Journalist Peter Greste was finally released from jail in Cairo. It came after President el-Sisi signed a decree saying that all foreign prisoners should be deported. Peter Greste was arrested along with three other journalists and was sentenced to seven years in jail. He is now, to the relief of everyone, back in Australia. In Australia we have joy and relief from his friends, family, and everyone who has called for his release via the #FREEAJSTAFF campaign.
We then go back to the bad news in regard to Baher Mohammad and Mohammed Fahmy, who are still jailed. Baher has only Egyptian citizenship and people are concerned as to where this leaves him. Unfortunately, it seems to be irrelevant as both he and Mohammed are set to be re-tried from 12 February.
This is why I love Journalism and want to be in there. The world is never the same place. News stories change every single hour of every single day. And sometimes - confusingly - illicite two emotions at once, which is odd; as I've illustrated here. One minute you're angry, sad and downright pee'd off because another journalist has been mercilessly murdered, and while trying to deal with that you are overjoyed, relieved and ecstatic that a journalistic colleague has finally been set loose from prison.
The good and bad of journalism happens all the time. Hopefully one day I'll be able to get in there and report on all this amazing stuff myself.
I can't wait!
Then we have the good news. On 1 February 2015 after 400 days in jail, Al Jazeera Journalist Peter Greste was finally released from jail in Cairo. It came after President el-Sisi signed a decree saying that all foreign prisoners should be deported. Peter Greste was arrested along with three other journalists and was sentenced to seven years in jail. He is now, to the relief of everyone, back in Australia. In Australia we have joy and relief from his friends, family, and everyone who has called for his release via the #FREEAJSTAFF campaign.
We then go back to the bad news in regard to Baher Mohammad and Mohammed Fahmy, who are still jailed. Baher has only Egyptian citizenship and people are concerned as to where this leaves him. Unfortunately, it seems to be irrelevant as both he and Mohammed are set to be re-tried from 12 February.
This is why I love Journalism and want to be in there. The world is never the same place. News stories change every single hour of every single day. And sometimes - confusingly - illicite two emotions at once, which is odd; as I've illustrated here. One minute you're angry, sad and downright pee'd off because another journalist has been mercilessly murdered, and while trying to deal with that you are overjoyed, relieved and ecstatic that a journalistic colleague has finally been set loose from prison.
The good and bad of journalism happens all the time. Hopefully one day I'll be able to get in there and report on all this amazing stuff myself.
I can't wait!
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