Andrew Malcolm
Political News & Commentary
A death reminds us, don't confuse that media with this media
Posted 09:12 AM ET
Anja Niedringhaus / AP (Life passes through a Kabul graveyard--and her lens.)
The American media endure a soiled reputation in the United States these days. Rightly so too often.
Many of its members failed their sentry duty during the run-up to the 2008 presidential elections, and oftentimes since covering only selectively positive parts of Barack Obama's reign of error.
Today's column is to remind many of us that there is media and then there is media. Anja Niedringhaus was a member of the other media.
A photojournalist for the Associated Press, she covered conflict for 20-plus years from the Balkans and Libya to Kuwait and Afghanistan. She was a member of AP's photo team that won a 2005 Pulitzer for Iraq war coverage.
She's dead now.
She was sitting in the backseat of a car with AP colleague Kathy Gannon Friday. They were in a convoy delivering ballots for the Afghan national election in Khost. They were supposed to be protected by Afghan police.
But they were helpless when a police commander saw the two women, uttered that now terrifyingly familiar yell "God is great" and opened fire through the car window. Niedringhaus died instantly. Gannon was gravely wounded.
Like so many violent deaths, it was senseless. And as in too many Afghan incidents, the murder came at the hands of someone brave allied troops are fighting to help. The perp was arrested. He may have been incensed at the sight of two uncovered women.
Similar things happened in the waning days of the Vietnam War 39 years ago this month when South Vietnamese troops, understandably feeling betrayed by the U.S. departure, threatened foreign journalists or tried to steer them toward toward danger. This Afghan may too have felt rage at being left to continue the fighting alone.
We didn't know Niedringhaus. But we did know of her. War correspondents of any nationality (Niedringhaus was German, Gannon is Canadian) are an awesome breed, running toward gunfire like brave troops, only they're unarmed. They seek to witness the details that will make their story real, human and compelling.
The good war correspondents love what they do. They are vulnerable and endure incredible personal hardships, which they dismiss as civilians might a Monday traffic jam.
They love the adrenalin rush. They can't wait to tell their story to the world. They are part of a long line of war correspondents killed in action, running back through Ernie Pyle in World War II and Dickey Chapelle in Vietnam.
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