Long, overlapping questions may have short, decisive answers.
No story is worth dying for.
This comes to mind repeatedly at an April 24 conference, especially when a journalist asked Altermidya Network National Coordinator, Avon Ang about the measures they have in place when one of their own is on assignment. He even commented that perhaps Altermidya should consider the places where its journalists are assigned to go for a story.
Safety is indeed important when newsrooms send journalists and media workers on assignment. We do risk mapping and follow safety protocols. We have our safety office or safety policy in place. We attend training and increase our knowledge on media safety. We participate in government-led initiatives to protect and ensure safety. Some journalists are fortunate if their employers would provide them vests or insurance.
But the reality is, journalists are not safe as long as there are forces that want the truth to remain hidden.
As Ang said, journalists are killed because of their work despite all the measures that a newsroom has in place to make their journalists safe.
So what does it really mean when one says that “No story is worth dying for”?
Does it mean that we restrain ourselves from reporting even if we witness the conditions of the masses in the countryside? Do we stop reporting renewable energy projects that bring no comfort to those who will be displaced in a land that would be used for solar panels? Should we stop unearthing the truth about how big companies amass their wealth from developments while the marginalized suffer from extreme poverty? Do we limit ourselves from going deep in our stories because that would put us at risk?
But what about the people’s right to information? What about the people’s right to be heard? How can we contribute to society if we are not critical? Should we remain conservative just because we will be in danger of pursuing such critical stories?
Long, overlapping questions may have short, decisive answers.
Community journalist RJ Ledesma’s killing should not discourage us from doing our jobs. We should use this as an inspiration to seek for the truth. May we honor RJ by pursuing stories of the marginalized that he unexpectedly stopped doing because he was killed. (DAA)
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