Most journalists be advised not to carry arms because it might undermine their status as an observer. But one crime reporter is open that he carries a hand gun with him everywhere he goes. He works for ABC Color in a Paraguayan city that boarders Brazil. This town is a major hub for drug trafficking and smuggling and after over 20 years of reporting on the matter he is a target.
He is receiving The Committee to Protect Journalists’ International Press Freedom Award in New York this month. This specific journalist is not alone in this matter.
Several other journalists that have won t
he award have been shot and killed. These journalists have gone through all of this just to get the news to the public so they understand just how serious certain topics are.
It is so interesting to see how dangerous it is for reporters in other countries around the world. This is something that I never took into consideration when choosing this career. Even though these cases are somewhat rare there is an inspiring aspect. As a student it is amazing to read these sad stories to see just how passionate some people are about news.
I can understand why a journalist in this situation would feel the need to arm himself/herself, but I wonder under what circumstances the journalist would use it. For instance, if the journalist is at a crime scene with police officers and an officer’s life was unexpectedly threatened, would the journalist intervene?
Sarah,
Wow, I never realized this either! Those journalists are extremely dedicated to gathering information to help others. I definitely understand the concern of undermining status. Although, I really think that in situations like this, journalists should carry a gun for their safety. But, so many unfortunate things happen so quickly and unexpectedly. I wonder if we would see less journalists killed if people were aware they are allowed to carry weapons, or would it make them a bigger target?