Can you look away as a journalist?
Why it's important to take a break from the news cycle
The news these days is pretty depressing.
I am writing this as the war in Ukraine enters its fourth week. 30 days of cities being bombed, civilians hiding in basements, women and children fleeing their homes. One month of killing.
On the news and on social media, there are pictures of charred tower blocks with chunks gouged out by Russian missiles, tanks rolling down roads, lifeless bodies wrapped up in blankets waiting to be buried, and children hugging their fathers goodbye, not knowing if they will see them again. It’s a steady stream of death and destruction, at odds with the sunny optimism outside my window as Spring bursts into life. In the past couple of weeks we have had a surprising amount of clear blue skies (as well as random snow flurries); a stark contrast to the skies over Ukraine filled with the wails of air raid sirens and Russian jets dropping bombs. Here, the sun is shining but I’m glued to my screen, breathlessly consuming news about a war happening 1,500 miles away.
It is understandable that many feel they have to look away. No more news. No more scrolling through headlines that make your stomach churn. No more accidentally coming across a photo of a dead child on Instagram (which happened to me last week).
But as journalists whose job it is to be informed and to document what is happening in the world, how do you look away? Should you look away?
It is a journalistic instinct to want to tell the story; to see it for yourself; to get to the truth. It is why as soon as there was an inkling of an invasion, foreign reporters flocked to Ukraine - and continue to do so despite the dangers. I know some of them, and I applaud them. We need them to tell us what is happening, from the war crimes to the more tender, human moments of the war. I must admit that over the past few weeks, I have felt a small amount of guilt - not only because I have felt the urge to look away sometimes, but because I don’t know if I would be brave enough to go to Ukraine and do what many other journalists are doing. This is the biggest news story in the world - shouldn’t I be trying to see it for myself? Shouldn’t I be telling those important stories? It doesn’t help that I’m currently working on a project that is completely unrelated to the war in Ukraine.
Of course, just because you are a journalist does not mean you have to be there. Going into a war zone is certainly not for everyone. It is not a place for young journalists with no experience of war zones, no protective gear, and no guaranteed support from news outlets. There already are incredible reporters telling stories from Ukraine - including the brave Ukrainian journalists who are risking their lives to report on a war that is devastating their own country. They do not have the luxury of being able to look away. They can’t just parachute out once they’ve had enough.
I saw a tweet the other day (and unfortunately can’t remember who tweeted it) explaining that instead of rushing into a war zone, what young foreign journalists should be asking themselves is what new perspectives or untold stories can we tell? Can we cover stories on Ukraine from where we are (without actually going to Ukraine)? It may seem obvious, but I think these questions are important to keep in mind.
I’ve come to realise that it is ok to look away sometimes - we may be journalists, but we are still human beings. In fact, taking breaks from the news is essential, not only for your mental health, but because then you can come back refreshed with new ideas, new ways of covering stories, and an energy to keep on telling the stories that matter.
Reading
My friend, Kateryna Gordiychuk, who is from Ukraine, shared this post on Instagram celebrating her beautiful, brave country. A snippet:
“Our nature is wild, untamed. I haven’t seen the beauty of chestnuts flowering in late spring anywhere else in the world. In Bukovel, smerekas - a type of spruce - give the western mountain region a distinct look. Sure, the Alps are gorgeous. But the Carpathians are warm, inviting and charming.
I want you all to see the beauty of our country. Our people did not choose this war but Ukrainians are the ones paying for it. With their lives, with their beautiful homes.
I believe that you need to see the beauty of a place to want to fight for it. So here, I’m showing you. Now please help us fight. Or else Europe will be next.”
Inside Mariupol’s devastation - Everyone needs to read the words of Mstyslav Chernov and see the photographs of Evgeniy Maloletka; two extraordinary Ukrainian AP journalists who have been documenting life inside the besieged city of Mariupol. A warning: it’s not for the faint-hearted.
And then read about their dramatic escape.
Listening
The Fire These Times: Ukraine Series - A view from Syria w/ Leila Al-Shami - An interesting interview with the British-Syrian activist and writer, Leila Al-Shami, who talks about the similarities of the tactics used by Russia in Syria and Ukraine, how Syrians are uniting with Ukrainians, and the differences in empathy shown towards Ukrainian refugees compared with other refugees from around the world fleeing war.
Watching
Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy - This is such a heartwarming (and stomach-warming?) series. From Naples to Bologna, Tuscany to Sicily, Tucci explores the food of each region of Italy with a sprinkling of history and a healthy dollop of his good humour. A perfect antidote to the news.
Writing
At the beginning of March I spoke to two Ukrainians who are stuck in bureaucratic nightmares as they try to navigate the UK’s draconian immigration system; one is trying to get to the UK to finish his studies, and the other is trying to bring her family to safety in the UK.
The interviews are part of ‘Search for Sanctuary’, a new series by Huck Magazine which looks at the stories of those escaping the war.
The woman fighting to get her Ukrainian family to safety - Despite Tanya Tame’s family being eligible for visas under the UK’s Ukrainian Family Scheme, the family is still struggling to get anywhere. Tanya says the system doesn’t work. She has tried to get help from the Home Office and MPs, but has been left feeling frustrated. It took her family three days to drive to Budapest, where they still remain, after fleeing their home in Cherkasy, a city in central Ukraine just down the river from Kyiv.
“I just feel so desperate and helpless,” Tanya told me. “It should be easier to apply for a visa in this situation because jumping through all these hoops is becoming one hurdle too much.”A Ukrainian student’s fight to reach the UK and escape war - Artur Nadiiev, a PhD student at Nottingham University, is currently staying in Germany after leaving Kyiv. He is trying to get a student visa but is stuck in a maze of red tape. Initially he was told he must take a tuberculosis test at an approved hospital in a third country (because Germany doesn’t have any approved hospitals), one of the countries the Home Office suggested he go to for the test is Russia…
“I’m not looking to immigrate, I’m not looking for refugee status - all I want is to finish my PhD in the UK,” Artur says. “I don’t want any special treatment, I want to follow the protocol, but [they should] be a bit more reasonable.”