Journos told background, perspective important in crisis coverage
"We fail very often to provide background and perspective," said Steven Raymer who was a National Geographic magazine staff photographer for about two decades before joining Indiana University's School of Journalism.
He describes the phenomenon where journalists "jump into a crisis" to cover the event without in-depth research on the background and perspectives on the issue as "parachute journalism".
Raymer, who teaches photojournalism, media ethics and international newsgathering, was giving a talk today on "War stories: Journalists in the crosshairs" at the Department of Media Studies, Universiti Malaya.
He said that any government involved in a conflict would try to manipulate the media so that it could put up the "best face" possible.
"All governments would want to control and manipulate war news to their advantage," he said, adding that censorship and propaganda from all sides had prevented the media from reporting impartially.
According to him, US war correspondents have always reported from an American viewpoint in a conflict until the Vietnam War.
"[Until then] US correspondents even wore uniforms and have the artificial rank of major," he said.
Increasingly international
The situation has changed as news agencies start to cater for an increasingly international audience.
Raymer said there is some contention in the US on how news should be covered in the war field where there is very little access to the military.
He said journalists were often accompanied by press escort officers who would not give an impartial viewpoint and would also limit their mobility.
However, the academic stressed that journalists now are not only concerned about the soldiers or troops of their respective countries. "We're also concerned about the people caught in the crossfire."
He said it was a responsibility of journalists to report on the people caught in the middle.
"We hold our politicians accountable for the civilian casualties," Raymer said. "We are not advocates for one side, but advocates for humanity."
During question-and-answer, Raymer acknowledged Qatar-based news agency, Al-Jazeera became more prominent by presenting Arab point of view.
He said it was interesting how a group of people trained by the British Broadcasting Corporation harnessed Western media technology to present the Arab's point of view.
While it is highly-politicised and not neutral, it is a major global player today, Raymer said.
Asked how to determine the credibility of news by organisations such as Al-Jazeera, the academic said the credibility of a news agency is determined by its independence.
Diverse views
He said the American media, while critical of the government, also made it a point to present the diverse views of many groups. "If anything, we (the media) are adversaries of the government," he said.
Raymer also explained that a news can be judged on the views it carries. "Many views are better than few views," he said.
He also gave an insight into the relationship between the government and independent news agencies.
These US news organisations pay the travel expenses of their journalists even if they are flying on the US presidential jet, Air Force One, he said.
When asked his opinion on government-run news agencies, Raymer said such agencies exist in authoritarian countries where the media are circumscribed.
However, he added that such news agencies have a role to play in small countries where other media could not afford to buy news from international agencies to keep their people informed.
"In that sense, they can play a positive role," Raymer said, but pointed out that government-run news agencies usually present one-sided views.
"If we wanted to get the government point of view, we know where to get it," the academic said, adding that many people would know they can get the press statement of the US military from the US Department of Defense.
"I'm not saying it is bad or good but it has a function. If they are not there, people will be less informed," he said.
