Media

James Nachtwey: Praise for Journalist Fixers in Foreign Lands

Great words from James Nachtwey, one of the greatest living photojournalists, in his acceptance speech for the President’s award at the Overseas Press Club in New York. Nachtwey praised those who help foreign correspondents do their job:

As journalists who report from abroad, we all know the value of colleagues who often go unsung - the fixers and translators and drivers who take such great personal risks and who work with such devotion to make what we do possible.

Whatever abilities we might have, we absolutely need the assistance of people who know the language and the culture and how to navigate hostile terrain.

I don’t know how many times I’ve only been as good as my driver. They love their countries. They truly value journalism. When we leave, they stay.

I think it is only fitting that I dedicate this award to our colleagues from foreign lands who have given us all so much.

I wrote with similar sentiments in the Farewell to Reporting post on this blog marking my departure from the International Herald Tribune/The New York Times after twelve years of reporting:

Another daily contributor to our newspaper deserves my final and highest thanks: Local fixers and courageous sources.

Often motivated by the simple urge to show the truth to the world, they act in spite of government and other pressures.

Newspaper correspondents like myself travel with the safety of a foreign passport and backing of a high profile publication, but the fixers we hire do so at great risk to themselves and their families.

They place themselves in harm’s way by sharing information, arranging interviews and explaining complexities crucial to telling a story. Their lives can quickly become the collateral damage of journalism.

Thank you for taking those risks and thank you for all the stories. I hope I did them justice.

© 2008 Thomas Crampton | Developed by Oursky Limited