NYT Op-ed: Over 60 Journalists Have Been Killed in the Israel-Gaza War. My Friend Was One
With a blend of personal reflection and professional insight, Al-Arian's piece sheds light on the increasing dangers journalists face in conflict zones, particularly in the Middle East
“As a journalist, I’m used to reporting the nightmares others live through. I’ve seen mass graves filled with women and children. I’ve walked through entire cities reduced to rubble. I’ve heard the screams of people who have lost everything and everyone they loved in an instant. I used to think that the enormity of the horrors I’ve seen others endure would allow me to bear my own with some perspective when it was my turn. But it hasn’t. To live through a nightmare and to witness others living through theirs are two very different things. There are limits to the human capacity to feel others’ pain.”
The deeply moving and insightful piece in the New York Times by Lama Al-Arian, a distinguished and multi-Emmy-award-winning journalist based in Beirut, offers a poignant and personal narrative set against the backdrop of the recent Israel-Gaza conflict, which has seen a disturbing escalation in violence against journalists.
Al-Arian recounts her experiences and the tragic loss of her close friend and colleague, Issam Abdallah, a cameraman for Reuters, in a missile attack in southern Lebanon. The article delves into the harsh realities faced by journalists on the front lines, painting a vivid picture of the perils they encounter while striving to bring forth the truth. Al-Arian's narrative is not only a tribute to Abdallah's life and work but also a powerful commentary on the broader implications of such targeted attacks on media workers.
With a blend of personal reflection and professional insight, Al-Arian's piece sheds light on the increasing dangers journalists face in conflict zones, particularly in the Middle East. Her article is a must-read for anyone looking to understand the depth of sacrifice and the risks involved in war journalism, and it serves as a stark reminder of the importance of protecting journalists and upholding press freedom globally.
You can read the full article here.
Lama Al-Arian is a Dupont-award-winning producer and investigative documentary filmmaker with ten years of experience in multi-media journalism, including print, radio, and broadcast. Currently focusing on in-depth, long-form reporting directly from the heart of the story, often on front lines and in conflict zones.