Gaza pullout, a look back
The Hurricane Katrina frenzy has made me think back to the Gaza pullout a few weeks ago.
Training for my new job, as web producer at a TV station, fell on the days after disengagement. Talk about baptism by fire.....it was chaotic in the newsroom that day and I had things to do and learn but I could not help but be affected by those images of what was going on in Gaza beamed around the world.
Steve made a good point in his comment on my last post.
"Good journalists try to tell the world what's happening. We didn't make the disaster - but hopefully your work will help those affected by it. "
I might whine about my hours or pay or whatnot (don't we all sometimes?) but overall I feel that my job is important in the sense that I can aid in the dissemination of information. Information that could be lifesaving, uplifting, or simply informative.
Some people (even friends of mine) might scoff at those of us who work in the media. They complain about bias and lack of depth and other things. But when it comes down to it, when there's a Hurricane Katrina, a Gaza pullout, or a tsunami, we are all glued to the TV. There is something comforting in being able to know that the images you are watching are probably the same, if not similar, to what people all over are watching. That shared imagery can bring people together. I cannot count the number of times people of my parents' generation speak with reverence and awe about watching that first moon landing in 1969. I'm sure that I will tell my kids about when I saw the Berlin Wall come down. Not because I was there, but because a journalist was. And because of that I could share in the awe of this physical symbol of Communism crumble.
{Original post from here}
SAFRAN: Your help during the Gaza pullout was amazing. The signs were in Hebrew, and you translated. Four years of Hebrew school and I could make out two letters. THAT's the way to make an impression.
Yeah, people will look at you cross-eyed when you tell 'em you're a journalist. Then a week like this will come along and remind us why we do what we do. The media is, in many ways, providing palpable help in this crisis. Journalists at the White House have been putting the tough questions to authorities - something they have often been accused of NOT doing.
TV news, web news, newspapers, radio - when a real news story comes along, we seem to find our way. We get lost amid the stupid shit too often -- but I'm proud to be in the media this month. You should be, too.
Oh - and I'm working the overnight tonight, so no complaints about your schedule...
Lyss:
I am proud. And glad that I could help out. There have been several key moments in my life when I felt that all the $$$ my parents spent on Jewish education has been helpful.
Training for my new job, as web producer at a TV station, fell on the days after disengagement. Talk about baptism by fire.....it was chaotic in the newsroom that day and I had things to do and learn but I could not help but be affected by those images of what was going on in Gaza beamed around the world.
Steve made a good point in his comment on my last post.
"Good journalists try to tell the world what's happening. We didn't make the disaster - but hopefully your work will help those affected by it. "
I might whine about my hours or pay or whatnot (don't we all sometimes?) but overall I feel that my job is important in the sense that I can aid in the dissemination of information. Information that could be lifesaving, uplifting, or simply informative.
Some people (even friends of mine) might scoff at those of us who work in the media. They complain about bias and lack of depth and other things. But when it comes down to it, when there's a Hurricane Katrina, a Gaza pullout, or a tsunami, we are all glued to the TV. There is something comforting in being able to know that the images you are watching are probably the same, if not similar, to what people all over are watching. That shared imagery can bring people together. I cannot count the number of times people of my parents' generation speak with reverence and awe about watching that first moon landing in 1969. I'm sure that I will tell my kids about when I saw the Berlin Wall come down. Not because I was there, but because a journalist was. And because of that I could share in the awe of this physical symbol of Communism crumble.
{Original post from here}
SAFRAN: Your help during the Gaza pullout was amazing. The signs were in Hebrew, and you translated. Four years of Hebrew school and I could make out two letters. THAT's the way to make an impression.
Yeah, people will look at you cross-eyed when you tell 'em you're a journalist. Then a week like this will come along and remind us why we do what we do. The media is, in many ways, providing palpable help in this crisis. Journalists at the White House have been putting the tough questions to authorities - something they have often been accused of NOT doing.
TV news, web news, newspapers, radio - when a real news story comes along, we seem to find our way. We get lost amid the stupid shit too often -- but I'm proud to be in the media this month. You should be, too.
Oh - and I'm working the overnight tonight, so no complaints about your schedule...
Lyss:
I am proud. And glad that I could help out. There have been several key moments in my life when I felt that all the $$$ my parents spent on Jewish education has been helpful.
posted by Lyss at 9:16 PM
1 Comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Post a Comment
<< Home