I remember getting the message and being confused.
“This James Foley news, wow,” it read.
That text came on Aug. 19. At the time, the name meant nothing to me. Today, the picture above hangs in my room. That is James Foley, a journalist who was killed by members of ISIS while working as reporter in Syria.
The stories on Remembering Jim, an online memorial to the journalist, are heartbreaking testaments to Foley’s character. He touched the lives of students when he worked for Teach for America. At his memorial service, family and friends poured into the Church of the Gesu at Marquette University. I was one in attendance. Without James Foley, I would not be who I am today, nor would I be pursuing the career I am. He appears in my mission to be journalist and is a consistent topic of my tweets.
Marquette will begin the celebration of Mission Week on Sunday. This is a time of speakers and campus dialogues that showcase the university’s mission of excellence, faith, leadership and service. The theme for Mission Week this year is “Who Cares? Charity, Justice and the Quest for the Common Good.” It is preparing students to continue that mission of truth. On that quest for the common good, Marquette is asking students to recognize people who are engaging the realities of the world. One of the events is a visit from artist Mary Pimmel-Freeman, who will paint a portrait of Foley.
Pimmel-Freeman is the artist behind the iconic images of the six Jesuit martyrs and two laywomen killed in El Salvador’s civil war.
The choice to honor James Foley this week was an easy one for Marquette. Foley represents all that Mission Week stands for. He gave his life on the pursuit of a better world. When faced with a troubling reality, he did not become overwhelmed, but instead engaged with that reality.
Yet, Foley’s impactful story underlines a troubling fact of modern journalism: it is dangerous to tell the truth. At a time of unrest in Syria, Ukraine and Yemen, the world still needs the news. The world turns to the news to understand what is happening in the world. Someone has to tell those stories. Someone has to put life on the line for the truth.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 1110 journalists have been killed since 1992 due to murder, crossfire or dangerous assignments. Sobering statistics have to check the hearts of journalists. Wanting to cover these stories cannot be a pride thing. It is too dangerous for that.
At the same time, though, this work is needed. Without the determined minds of James Foley and other journalists, such as Steven Sotloff and Simone Camilli, events in Syria or Israel would go unreported. The news cycle would fill with something else; oppression and evil would continue. Human rights would continue to be abused and no change would occur.
Pimmel-Freeman’s upcoming portrait of James Foley is an act of recognition of the work of Foley and journalists everywhere. Without their work, our lives would be clouded in ignorance. If possible, come to the events of Marquette’s Mission Week. Hear the unforgettable stories of the world’s leaders in social justice. Say a prayer for the heroes of free speech.
Wyatt Massey is a human rights journalist, social media nerd and self-diagnosed health nut. He is a student at Marquette University, studying Writing-Intensive English and Advertising.
