Work of War Correspondents - Essay Example

?Chapter 4: ANALYSIS This chapter is divided into three sections: A textual comparison between the works of a male and a female war correspondents; comparison between the transcript interviews between a male and female war correspondents; a case study of the female and male experiences as war correspondents. 4.1 Writing about War: the Male vs. Female Perspectives For this part, I will be using the works of Anthony Shadid and Stephanie Gaskell. Both of these reporters are war correspondents in the Middle East. Shadid’s work cited in this comparison were mostly published in the New York Times whereas Gaskell’s pieces were spread across several news outfits, with the reporter working as freelance war correspondent since 2007. Three articles written by each of these writers were compiled. Shadid’s works include A Boy Who Was Like a Flower (2004), Syria’s Sons of No One (2011), and, House of Stone (2012). Gaskell’s work include Bombs put Kirkuk in line as next hotbed (2007), As Holidays Come and Go, War Barely Takes a Break (2009), and Army Reports Grim Milestone in Troop Suicides (2012). On the surface, there are glaring differences in terms of the content of the reportage. One of the most important of these is that Shadid’s subjects focused on individuals whereas Gaskell’s reports were more on the bigger picture. Shadid took the inductive approach to writing, using specific personalities and situations in order to report about the bigger picture of war. The implication of this is significant. First, there is the fact that the reporter was able to infiltrate the battlefront by chronicling the experiences of the victims who are caught in the crossfire of the battles. Gaskell on the other hand focused on the movements of the war from the army’s or the strategists’ perspectives, hovering from above, exploring general terms such as army reports, army experiences and so forth. This difference implies several important things. First, there is the possibility that male correspondents report closer to the battle lines whereas female correspondents seem to be content watching from afar. This point is supported by the series of news feeds by renowned female war correspondent, Raghida Dergham, writing her pieces in a blog for The Huffington Post back in 2007 as she covered Iraq. The subjects of her articles were general themes such as the impact of the presidential election Lebanon, diplomatic tussles between major players in the Iraq War such as those involving Russia and the United States, Iran and Syria and so forth. There were interviews to individual participants but these were mostly prominent personalities, who stay away from the battlefield - Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki, etc. It is clear that male reporters are at an advantage or are more capable in covering the war as it happens. They are more likely to be found at the thick of things, say when gunfight erupts or the first to arrive and cover the casualties and damage of war. This is not to say that female reporters are less reliable. They are more likely to get information from decision makers and, hence, more effective in reporting diplomatic subjects, policy decisions and strategic issues. This aspect is supported by the analysis of the responses to this study’s interview questions by male and female war correspondents in the next case comparison. Male war correspondents are also more likely to report about fighting in detail as well as an emphasis on male subjects as what happened in the three articles by Shadid. On the other hand, female reporters to tend to focus on themes about women, children and family. There could be a preferential bias to each of the subjects mentioned according to the gender differences of the reporters. While this study is not equipped to quantify this point, they are aggravated by two important variables. The first is the issue previously mentioned: women are constrained to report from the battlefield and, similarly, women are less likely to be found at the center of the fighting. So men reports from the battle locations where men are found fighting. Secondly, there is the cultural variable. Islamic culture in most of the countries in the Middle East are still very clear about the restrictions on women as well as the relationship between men and women. So, Muslim fighters or those involved in the conflict are more likely to talk to male correspondents and women and kids are more likely to talk to female reporters. Many female reporters also recognize the willingness on the part of the army’s top brass to give them interviews and information. The negative aspect to this dimension has been illustrated in the case of the sexual harassment of war correspondent Natasha Smith in Egypt. In my interview with Smith, several issues that are specific to female reporters emerged. These include: The need to bring a male escort or companion for safety purposes; The need for women reporters to step back in dangerous situations; The dangers for female reporters are not confined to violent forms but also sexual in nature; Men are less likely to be attacked on the field. Smith’s account during the interview confirmed all the points found in this section. Women are a disadvantage when covering conflicts. Physically, they do not have the strength, agility and self-confidence that are important to thrive and survive when reporting in the field. In addition, the Middle Eastern societies are still too conservative biased towards women, putting them both in physical and sexual risks. The danger is further highlighted by the fact that journalists are particularly in danger of being harmed or killed in conflicts all over the world. Beginning in 1992, the Committee to Protect Journalists have listed at 1395 deaths, a great number of the figures were in the Middle East. 4.2 Comparison of Interview Texts For this case comparison, themes were identified from the answers provided by a male and a female reporter-respondents - both of whom came from China - on the same sets of open-ended questions. Based on their answers several differences were found. 4.2.1 Advantage and Disadvantage Male and female correspondents cite different benefits and downsides as war reporters based on their genders. For women, the advantage is being perceived as non-threatening, which makes it easier for them to secure interviews from the army, women and children. This, however, becomes a liability when the environment shifts to the battlefield. As the physically weaker sex, they are more prone to assaults. In analyzing word frequency used by the female respondent in queries regarding issues like disadvantages and risks, words like “protect”, “pacify”, violence” and “assault” were used while the word “physical” was recurring frequently. In the case of the male respondent talking about disadvantages and risks to female war correspondents, words used include, “sentiment”, “weak” and “not objective”, with the word “emotional” recurring in several responses. In one instance, the male respondent stated: They [female journalists] need to pay more effort; a good healthy body is really important and basic aspect. While the statement is simple and pretty straightforward, it is a telling declaration in regards to how male correspondents view their female counterparts in the battlefield. It implies that they view women as lacking in an important respect that is why they need to put in more effort. The emphasis on the need to maintain good and healthy body is an insinuation of weakness and inefficiency in doing what needs to be done on the field. It will not be surprising to find male journalists preferring male companions on assignment because of this. It is tantamount to saying that female journalists may be inconvenient companions and could prove to be a liability. 4.2.2 Perceptions Male war correspondents are more able to get away with his job from the perspective of families. The male interviewee stated that his family has been supportive about his work in the Middle East. The female interviewee, however, explained that she needed to persuade her family and loved ones to let her go and do her job. There are underlying male-female role stereotypes at work here. It appears that the society is much more comfortable to send a man to a war-torn location to report on the conflict as they happen than women. This supports perceptions of women as the “weaker sex” - the one that needs to be protected. Themes from the response provided by the male and female respondents in this area were varied, implying different values and perspectives. The male respondent talked about support and encouragement from family as well as ease and familiarity with the nature of his work. On the other hand, the female respondent was adamant about her own determination, discouragement from family and co-workers as well as difficulties in field reporting. Even men seem to agree in this respect. They view the work being done by female journalists as realization of personal obsessions, ambitions and dreams. This differentiates the men’s condition because reporting from the Middle East is “work” for them and not some ultimate crusade. This could mean that men view female journalists differently than the way they view themselves. This aspect is not solidly substantiated but the argument is sound based on the findings of this study in general. 4.2.3 Weakness and Strength Both the male and female interviewees recognize that female war correspondents are physically weaker, biologically constrained (i.e. limitations during menstruation period or pregnancy) and more emotional especially in their pursuit of a story and in their approach to writing. For example, Natasha Smith was compelled to write about her own experience in Egypt and contextualized it in such a way that she started advancing themes like gender equality and women’s rights. In the interview, she explained: I was motivated by the need to spread awareness of this endemic problem in Egypt – a problem which affects all women in Egypt. I felt I was in a privileged position to get people worldwide to take notice of this problem after my attack was broadcast widely through global media. I wanted to highlight the fact that people should care not only about Western women who suffer such attacks, but our sisters in Egypt and elsewhere who suffer without any justice being done. The female reporter saw such emotion as an advantage, arguing that it gives dimension to her as a reporter and giving her flexibility when it comes to gathering information and cultivating sources for her reports. Representing the prevailing attitude by female journalists in war zones, the female participant in this study’s interview, saw her emotion as a unique characteristic that enable her to write a better angled story. Female reporters, based on the articles examined by this study have also no problem writing to advance a humanitarian or a positive cause. This is significantly different from the perspective of men reporting in war zones. As reflected in the response of the male interviewee, emotion, sentiment and female passion is considered as a negative factor that keeps news reports from being objective. Here, male war correspondents are more preferential of traditional news reporting, consisted of the narrative of facts and the avoidance of getting involved. The point is that emotion muddles the story and could lead to bias. Interestingly, both male and female respondents in this study cited that female emotions can often lead to bouts of panic and anxiety among female journalists during emergency conditions. The indirectly implied point is that men could handle difficult situations better, especially those life-threatening ones. 4.2.4 Middle East as a News Location Men, as demonstrated by the male interviewee’s response, do not see that women should be excluded from war reporting. This echoes the perspective of the female respondent who was determined to do her work in the battlefield. Female reporters also no longer cite any issues about discrimination or feeling disadvantaged by male behavior or dominance in the field. In the interviews conducted by this researcher, no words like “discrimination”, “gender”, “gender bias”, “domination”, “stereotyping” and other related words and themes. This supported the point, however, that a male and female journalist could have different capabilities in responding to the conditions in war reporting. This confirms the previous finding that men excel in certain aspects of it while women can be effective in others. This goes both ways, men are less effective in some areas of war reporting and women can also be disadvantaged in several respects. In addition, reporters acknowledge that the Middle East is a hotbed of gender discrimination where women, even those from coming the West or elsewhere are considered inferior. The male respondent interviewed by this researcher made a specific reference to this aspect, saying that the Middle East or all Arab countries appear to have this in their culture or behavior and that all journalists know it all too well. Natasha Smith’s experiences are true in many female journalists such as Lara Logan, who was all over the news when she herself was physically and sexually assaulted in Egypt while covering the demonstrations in Tahrir Square during the Egyptian Revolution. Based on the interview, it is clear that the dynamics in war reportage according to gender experiences are still riddled with stereotypes. Although this does not constitute discrimination or outright prejudice, there is a fixed notion about women as soft and, hence, could not accomplish as much as men. This is demonstrated in the way the army and its personnel are more amenable to divulge information to female reporters because they are perceived as non-threatening. Women and families are also more likely to talk to them for the same reason. As the “weaker sex”, they are less likely to be perceived as a threat, especially for a society with an inherent suspicion of foreigners. Meanwhile, men tend to thrive on the field not only because their physicality can help them cope with the rigorous demands of the job but also because, the conception of strength, make them more acceptable when interviewing fighters with less risk of being assaulted. what is interesting is that women accept the preconceived notion about them and learn to turn it to their advantage. 4.3 Gender-Specific Experiences As war correspondents in the Middle East, there are many variables that define news gathering experiences for both male and female reporting. These are prominent in biological, physical, social and cultural aspects. While being a female reporter in a battlefield is no longer frowned upon among peers, there are still few female reporters in war-torn locations in comparison to male correspondents. This is not surprising. Beginning in the home front, female war correspondents appear to face challenges to being assigned in the Middle East or in any areas of conflict. Family and even editors think twice when agreeing to send them to their assignments. Today, news executives debate whether to send female war correspondents to Middle East with its violent and ultra conservative society. Based on the interviews done by this paper, this issue was directly mentioned. This was also alluded to in the content of new reports written by women when one consider the extent, type and sources of their information. Even when they are finally allowed to report from the battle field, women are still constrained by several factors when at work. There is restriction imposed by the army, their male colleagues and, finally, the experiences of other female war correspondents before. There are already female journalists assaulted, attacked and even killed. A case in point is Marie Colvin’s experience. After losing one eye from a shrapnel wound in Sri Lanka, she finally died when the house she was staying was bombed in Homs, Syria back in February 2012. This is the reason why, though determined and ambitious at times, female journalists are ever more cautious especially in the Middle East, knowing full too well their limitations as well as the risks to their person as women. Natasha Smith experienced this first-hand, when she was sexually assaulted in Egypt and lived to tell the tale. She cautioned female war correspondents: Don’t get swept up/carried away by the compulsion to be at the heart of the action, soaking up the atmosphere - whether that’s an atmosphere of celebration or of angry/violent protest. Always step back to objectively assess the risks surrounding you, and do not take any unnecessary risks. Stay cautious – don’t be adventurous when it means you’re putting yourself in unnecessary danger. Do not underestimate the speed with which a situation can turn from one of relative safety to one of extreme danger. 4.3.1 About Preparations Besides physicality and the socio-cultural context that comes with being a man in the Middle East, there are other things that men can do in order to protect themselves better from threats and accomplish their jobs more effectively. For instance, there were references to self-defense and the limitations that women can do in terms of news reporting in the field. A male interviewee pointed this out when he explained that it is difficult for a woman to write, shoot video, handle equipment, and do interviews at the same in the field. He pointed out that a male reporter can do all of these even when at gunpoint. This is supported by the response of the female interview participant when asked about preparations and things that she bring with her to the field. She cited numerous necessities for a woman, which tend to inconvenience her as she did her work. She explained that when “We went to Somali, and we all take our medicine, mosquito net, toiletries and camera and so on”, making it difficult to live and function especially since there is a lack of water, food and accommodations as well. Chapter 6: CONCLUSION Based on the analyses of this study, which emerged out the textual comparison of written works of male and female war correspondents in the Middle East as well as the interviews conducted on participants representing the gender divide among war correspondents, it was found that: 1) there are glaring differences in the writing styles and approaches of male and female journalists; and, 2) female war correspondents are at a disadvantage in covering their assignments in the conflicts in the Middle East. The differences in writing style and content can be attributed to gender temperament and the circumstance and resources available to male and female reporters. This is the most important finding of this study. Women tend to write more about the war in general or from a deductive point of view and they tend to write more about women, children and families as well as issues that confront each of them. It is clear that that women prefer to write on these themes based on their emotional attachment to each of these. However, this is not the only dominant driving factor behind the style and content of female war reports. As they are disadvantaged in field reporting in war zones, constrained by their physical weakness as well as the biological, social and cultural variables present, they have to make do with what they can access. This is the reason why most of their reports are about women and children or about policies and generalities because this is where they are effective in gathering resources. This dimension to war reporting underscores the second finding, which revealed the risks to female journalists covering conflicts especially in areas like the Middle East. Women have to contend with challenges that are not normally experienced by their male counterparts. All in all, it is unfair to say that women write what they write about the war in the Middle East because that is what they want to write about or that is what their gender temperament dictates them to do. There are a host of other variables that force women to emphasize on specific aspects or players in wars. But, unfortunately, these variables are present because of their gender and how their environment responds to this fact. There are two significant limitations to this study. First is the focus on the reporting from Middle East. The theme is quite comprehensive and it is difficult to cover all aspects. This is the reason why it is hard to claim that this study represents universal norms and characteristics of war reporting: 1) by men and women, including their differences; and, 2) in the context of the Middle East for each of these categories of journalist. Secondly, the method of inquiry employed is purely qualitative. For this reason, there are areas in the research subject that are left out or muddled in the generalities. It is important to note that the method cannot quantify behavior. Nonetheless, this study is founded on the credibility by which the methods were implemented and the data gathered. Most importantly, the researcher -in this particular research framework - was able to observe actual behavior instead of merely identifying it from a distance and from contrived scenarios. Finally, the findings have been compared with and by the evidences of previous research on the subject. This ensures the credibility and validity this study. References Dergham, R., 2007. Blog Entries by Raghida Dergham. Huffington Post, [online]. Available at: [Accessed on 16 September 2012]. Gaskell, S., 2007. Bombs put Kirkuk in line as next hotbed. San Francisco Chronicle. 17 July. Gaskell, S., 2009. As holidays come and go, war barely takes a break. New York Daily News. 24 May. Gaskell, S., 2012. Army reports grim milestone in troop suicides. POLITICO, [online]. 16 Aug. Available at: [Accessed on 15 September 2012]. Shadid, A., 2004. A Boy Who Was ‘Like a Flower’. Anthony Shadid, [online]. Available at: [Accessed on 15 September 2012]. Shadid, A., 2011. Syria’s Sons of No One. New York Times. 31 Aug. Shadid, A., 2012. House of Stone. New York Times. 18 Feb. Read More