America Quote by Rebecca Hamilton
“I feel really uncomfortable writing about Sudan when I'm not there. It always looks different. When you're outside Sudan it's easy to lose sight of how much of what happens is driven by local politics. And when you're in America in particular, there's this sense that what D.C. has to say is the only thing that counts.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Personal reflections on foreign reporting, 2023
The author feels distant from Sudan, noting that external perspectives can miss local political nuances and overvalue distant political commentary.
In simple terms: Writing from afar can miss local facts and overvalue distant comment.
Key Takeaway
Seek local voices and context.
Themes
journalism
perspective
politics
culture
bias
Mood
reflective
critical
thoughtful
Type
analytical
ethical
observational
When to use this quote
- reporting from abroad
- policy analysis
- public discourse
- media criticism
Key Concepts
media studies
political geography
ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- How can journalists incorporate authentic local perspectives?
- What risks arise from over-relying on distant political narratives?
A Different Perspective
Local insights may be inaccessible or suppressed.
![“I think people felt like they did everything they had been told they should do to fix the problem, and it still wasn't fixed. Then you have these other parts of Sudan, [which] in actual fact have been left on the back burner for way too long, so there was this scramble, probably a year ago now, to…” quote by Rebecca Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e21/rebecca-hamilton-18346_agreement_i-think-people-felt-like-they-did-everyt_1753732.jpg)
![“What's really interesting, though, is that some people in the Messirya are starting to see Darfuri rebels - so non-Arab, [from the] Justice and Equality Movement - have moved over into Southern Kordofan, which is supposed to be a Messirya stronghold, and started recruiting Messirya to go and fight…” quote by Rebecca Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d77/rebecca-hamilton-18346_darfur_what-s-really-interesting-though-is-that_1128414.jpg)
![“I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. [salutes]” quote by Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3d2/bill-hicks-970_america_i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumor_655.jpg)
