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CNN Sunday Morning
What Is It Like to Be a Journalist in a War Zone?
Aired July 14, 2002 - 07:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, let's talk some more about what it's like to be a journalist in a war zone. CNN's Nic Robertson has covered just about every conflict you can mention in recent years. He joins us now from Kabul, Afghanistan for insight in all this.
Nic, good to see you with us. And just let me start off, where you are right now. Are you in any danger?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, I think the phase of this conflict here in Afghanistan, the unpredictable phase, which is often the most dangerous when there's a conflict still going on and you don't know where the front lines are, I think that's very much gone. There is still a danger, of course, of being targeted, but you would have to be targeted specifically. One things just the other weekend of the vice president here being assassinated. That's probably the only real risk here if somebody does a grudge against you and does want to go for you, there are so many guns here. And it is unpredictable. But of course, without the land mines of which we believe there are about 10 million here. So...
O'BRIEN: Wow.
ROBERTSON: So we have to stay on the roads a lot as well, not go wandering around. But principally, mostly safe.
O'BRIEN: Now you mentioned the fact that a journalist could be targeted. And it's clear that Daniel Pearl was targeted and then ensnared in the trap. What sorts of safeguards do folks who work for CNN and other organizations for that matter try to employ to avoid that kind of situation? I suppose for one thing, traveling alone is probably a bad idea.
ROBERTSON: Traveling alone. And in television, we're fortunate because we generally as a minimum travel as two people, a cameraman and a reporter. So there's some strength in numbers. But again, we really consult with security experts and take their advice. And often cases not just general advice, but advice on really specific situations. Should we go with these people? Should we trust them? Should we follow them?
At some point, you may be forced to take that step in the dark. And one hopes that we've done all our research in advance of that, to make sure it's safe. O'BRIEN: What -- take me inside that decision for just a moment, because it's got to be the most vexing dilemma that a journalist in your position ever faces? On the one hand, you've got your own personal safety, you know, getting back to your family. On the other hand, you have, you know, potentially a killer story, quite literally, an award winning story. And that can be very enticing if you're a journalist?
ROBERTSON: I think it is perhaps not a good idea to be lulled into a false sense of security, thinking that it won't happen to me. I think that's perhaps one of the biggest dangers. But of course, the thought that you're going to get a huge scoop, which is obviously something many journalists would like to do, and aim for, can kind of block out that reality. So it's very important to remember that it could happen to you, that you are as vulnerable as anyone else and bear that in mind.
Obviously, one weighs out the risks of what it is involved to get the story and how big that story potentially is. Yes, we do make that analysis, but one tries to remember it could happen to us as much as anyone else.
O'BRIEN: Quickly, Nic, we're just about out of time, but I want to ask you, what's the most dangerous place you've been in, do you think?
ROBERTSON: To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure. Perhaps I'm lucky not to know some of the dangerous I've been in. Perhaps that's the best thing. I had when I was in Israel recently in Ramallah, bullets biting up the dirt about a meter from my feet. Fortunately, that guy didn't see it. Somebody behind me told me about it. One never quite knows sometimes actually how much danger we're in.
O'BRIEN: All right, CNN's Nic Robertson. We invite you to please stay safe. And while you're pursuing the story, keep that in mind. Thanks very much for joining us from Kabul.
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