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War correspondents
Working in a
war zone is one of the most demanding and dangerous duties that a journalist
can perform
Street scene in Iraq after the 9/11 incident in 2001. (Courtesy of Ng Hiu Tung)
By J Chun
Dong Ng Hiu Tung is a Hong Kong-based journalist who often experiences difficulties when gathering news in war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan. However, this type of journalist is rare in Hong Kong.
This is due to the difficulties of doing interviews and taking photos in war zones.
For example, the Iraqi government prohibits journalists from taking photos of the residence of Saddam Hussein, government buildings and military weapons.
Edgar So Kai Chi, a principal reporter at Hong Kong Cable Television Limited, said that he once wanted to write a story about an oil field in Iraq.
However, he was forbidden to do interviews with local people and take photos of oil fields. Thus, he gave up reporting on the oil field.
Also, it is hard to get permission to enter the country.
"We have to convince the Iraqi government officials that we will not conduct spy activities," said he.
Moreover, Mr. So said that the government randomly selects some, but not all, applicants from a team.
Without photographers and engineers, they cannot operate equipment well.
In addition, journalists' safety in war zones is not absolutely guaranteed.
The biochemical weapons possibly possessed by the Iraqi government may endanger the health of journalists, so they need to receive vaccinations prior to the start of their journey.
However, the Department of Health in Hong Kong does not provide smallpox and bubonic plague vaccinations for citizens.
Therefore, they need to be vaccinated in Iraq.
Nonetheless, they may not be able to find vaccinations available in the country, according to Mr. Ng.
Thus, the safety of journalists is the main concern to news companies.
Following the murder in Western Africa in 2002 of Miguel Gil Moreno, a Spanish cameraman for Associated Press Television News, international news companies such as the British Broadcasting Corporation and Cable News Network jointly released a code of practice for journalists working in war zones.
Other organizations have been encouraged to adopt the guidelines.
According to the code, a journalist taking on dangerous assignments must do so voluntarily and be given access to the necessary training and safety equipment. Personal insurance should also be made available to them.
In Hong Kong, various companies insured journalists who were heading for Iraq in February.
Television Broadcasts Limited insured its correspondents additionally. It increased the sums insured for staff members going to Iraq.
Asia Television Limited said it would try its best additionally to insure its correspondents, who would also be provided with bulletproof garments.
Hong Kong Cable Television Limited did not purchase additional insurance plans for its correspondents, but demands them to retreat in case of danger.
In fact, Hong Kong correspondents normally do not go to the risky frontlines.
Mr. So remarked,"Actually, the correspondents are in the rear, not at the front." He said that he always finds alternative ways to escape in case of war.
"Last time after we had arrived in Baghdad after the 9/11 incident, we immediately found the way by land to retreat to Amman, the capital of Jordan, where we came from," said he.
Judith Clarke, assistant professor in the Department of Journalism at Hong Kong Baptist University, said that she did not worry about dangers when she went to Cambodia and Vietnam during her four visits from 1985 to 1987.
Prof. Clarke said, "I was not afraid when I walked in war places because I knew that it was safe, "I believed the government dared not bare the responsibility of causing a foreign correspondent to die in its country."
According to her, the definition of war correspondents is someone who covers open conflicts. There are three types of journalists going to war zones. They vary in different degrees.
The first type is full-time war correspondents who follow soldiers during a war.
Stringers work locally in different countries, but they are not full-time. They are paid by the number of stories they do.
Parachuters are sent from the headquarters to war places. They just do one story and come back.
"Ng Hiu Tung is a parachuter," said Prof. Clarke.
Mr. So said war correspondents should live and work in areas where conflicts take place, receive payments much higher than other correspondents and have received military training.
Besides, Mr. So observed that there are no full-time war correspondents in Hong Kong.
He explained that this is beacuse Hong Kong people lack international vision. They love ad hoc crisis rather than in-depth analysis.
An ad hoc crisis is the one that is unplanned.
Additionally, in Hong Kong, the expenses of supporting a war correspondent far overweigh the demand for news in war zones.
According to Mr. So's colleague, Mr. Ng, it is unnecessary to assign Hong Kong correspondents to war frontlines.
International news companies such as the British Broadcasting Corporation and the Cable News Network have professional war correspondents providing the latest news for other news companies.
Moreover, Hong Kong news companies have little influence on the situations they report on, when compared with the BBC and CNN.
According to Mr. Ng, if news companies in Hong Kong had a 24-hour news channel that could influence the decisions of the Chinese government, it would be worthwhile to train professional war correspondents.
When asked about the future of this profession in Hong Kong, Mr. Ng does not express optimism.
Meanwhile, Mr. So said that Hong Kong journalists are gaining experience in war zones. Having full-time war correspondents in Hong Kong is becoming possible.
He said that Reuters offers some half-year courses for journalists all over the world.
On the other hand, he advised journalists to better equip themselves through reading more magazines to broaden their vision.
For example, Hong Kong reporters should understand the operation and structure of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
In Baghdad, because Hong Kong correspondents are in the rear, the angles of news articles need to be changed.
"We cannot report military preparations there, so we need to change our angles to political and religious events," said Mr. So.
Press conferences and lives of Iraqi people are examples of subjects reported by Mr. Ng.
"We choose to report soft events," said he.
Mr. Ng said Hong Kong news companies should give readers the views of war zones from different perspectives.
Hong Kong war correspondents might focus on the lives of Iraqi people. (Courtesy of Dong Ng Hiu Tung)