I don't like the definition 'war correspondent'. It is…
“I don't like the definition 'war correspondent'. It is history, not journalism, that has condemned the Middle East to war. I think 'war correspondent' smells a bit, reeks of false romanticism: it has too much of the whiff of Victorian reporters who would view battles from hilltops in the company of ladies, immune to suffering, only occasionally glancing towards the distant pop-pop of cannon fire.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
War reporting is portrayed as heroic, but it often masks the political forces that create conflict.
In simple terms: War reporting can romanticize conflict.
Question the narratives behind war journalism.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- newsrooms
- policy debates
- public discourse
- education
- activism
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does language shape our view of conflict?
- What responsibilities do journalists have to truth?
Romanticism may overlook suffering and responsibility.