RSVP HERE
A Discussion with Tanya Habjouqa, Ameera Harouda, Dalia Hatuqa, Gideon Levy, and Gilles Paris, moderated by David Remnick
After Hamas led deadly attacks in Israel on October 7, killing at least 1200 people and capturing hundreds of hostages, Israel has been conducting intense bombing and ground campaigns in Gaza, killing more than 32,000 people and wounding tens of thousands more. The war and the humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave have been convulsing the region and the world.
Reporting on the war has been especially difficult in Gaza, where Israel has blocked access for reporters and Israeli attacks have killed at least 100 journalists. In February, more than 30 news organizations signed an open letter urging the protection of journalists working in Gaza and their freedom to report. In 2023, The Committee to Protect Journalists estimated that more than three-quarters of the journalists and media workers killed worldwide died in the current war in Gaza. “Journalists in Gaza are facing exponential risk,” said Sherif Mansour, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, “But their colleagues in the West Bank and Israel are also facing unprecedented threats, assaults, and intimidation to obstruct their vital work covering this conflict.”
War reporters put their safety at risk to preserve access to information, to document stories not told by official parties, and to keep track of facts when information gets blurred by the chaos on the ground. Journalists like Gideon Levy and Gilles Paris, analyzing and interpreting the news from conflict zones for international audiences, play an essential role that relies on media workers on the ground. The work of local journalists like Ameera Harouda, who can also serve as interpreters, put foreign journalists in contact with sources, and guide them through their interviews, are essential during wartime. Visual journalists like Tanja Habjouqa play an essential role as visual witnesses, documenting and shaping perceptions of events on the ground, whether they work for established media outlets or through social media.
This panel discussion will explore the obstacles encountered by journalists in conflict zones, using the example of Gaza, who bear witness to the rest of the world. More info here.
Event co-sponsored by the Columbia Journalism School, the Middle East Institute, the Society of Fellows and Heyman Center for the Humanities, Columbia Maison Française, and Columbia Global Centers | Paris, in partnership with Le Monde.
