Journalism is a force that gives the words “never again” meaning: Watson
The journalist’s role is to make sure a fractured public remains engaged. If the journalists fail, large numbers of people die
“We need to figure out as the crisis in journalism worsens, how to make sure a fractured public is engaged. If they are not, large numbers of people die because the rest of us turn away. It is good journalism that keeps people from turning away.”
To look back on his career is to stir bad memories is to open a wound. A deep wound, which Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Paul Watson explains is close to his heart.
Watson confided as much to an assortment of students, international journalists and academics as he delivered his keynote address for the Media and Mass Atrocity round table.
Below are Watson’s speaking notes from his keynote address.
DEC.1
KEYNOTE ADDRESS MEDIA AND MASS ATROCITY
*TO PROFESSOR ALLAN THOMPSON, OUR RWANDAN COLLEAGUES AND THE REST OMG IS WHO HAVE WORKED SO LONG AND HARD TO MAKE SURE THE LESSONS OF THAT UNNECESSARY GENOCIDE ARE NOT FORGOTTEN, AND THAT DEEP WOUNDS ARE HEALED, I SAY THANK YOU.
* I’M AFRAID A LIFETIME OF CONFLICT HAS SAPPED MUCH OF MY STRENGTH, AND FAITH IN MY POWER TO MAKE ALL BUT THE SMALLEST CHANGES. I’M HERE TO HONOR AND SUPPORT ALL OF YOU.
BECAUSE YOU HAVEN’T SURRENDERED. AND KNOW, I’M SURE, WE HAVE TO DO THINGS BETTER TO MAKE THE BIG CHANGES WE NEED.
* CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE OF THE CONFERENCE: IN AGE WHEN TRUST IN JOURNALISM DYING, AMID DERISIVE SHOUTS OF FAKE NEWS, MOST OFTEN FROM THOSE WITH MOST TO LOSE IF PUBLIC HEARS AND ACCEPTS THE TRUTH
*COMBAT JOURNALISTS HAVE A UNIQUE RESPONSIBILITY: IF THEY DO THEIR JOBS RIGHT, LIVES ARE SAVED, INCLUDING THOSE OF COMBATANTS WHO ARE TOO OFTEN BETRATED BY THE LEADERS WHO SEND THEM TO WAR
*THE OBSTACLES ARE LEGION, NOT LEAST THE DANGERS. BUT CONFLICT REPORTERS ARE OFTEN FIGHTING PERSONAL WARS:
A CENTRAL STRUGGLE IS BETWEEN WHAT YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW AND WHAT THE PROPAGANDISTS WANT YOU TO THINK YOU KNOW
I’VE OFTEN TOLD PEOPLE: IT WASN’T THE RELENTLESS CRUELTY AND BURSTS OF FEAR VIOLENCE THAT DROVE ME CRAZY.
IT WAS THE ENDLESS OFFICIAL LIES CAMOUFLAGING CYNICAL INDIFFERENCE.
*I STAND BEFORE YOU TONIGHT IN WHAT I THINK IS A UNIQUE POSITION: A JOURNALIST WHO WAS WHO WAS BOTH EARLY ON THE RWANDAN GENOCIDE AND LATE. I’LL LAY OUT THE ERASONS FOR THAT SEEMING CONTRAICTION NOW. THEY FORM A CAUTIONARY TALE THAT I THINK IS CENTRAL TO THIS WEEKEND’S DISCUSSIONS.
*NEXT YEAR MARKS 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF BATTLE OF MOGADISHU, CAPTURED SO VISCERALLY IN MOVIE AND BOOK BLACK HAWK DOWN.
*A QUICK BACKGROUND:
1992 SOMALIA WAS A STRATEGIC PAWN IN THE HORN OF AFRICA ALTERNATIVELY BACKED BY THE SOVIET UNION AND THE US
DICTATOR MOHAMMED SIAD BARRE WAS A US PROXY WHEN HE WAS OVERTHROWN IN 1992. CIVIL WAR AND ANARCHY ENSUED — REAL ANARCHY.
MILITIA FACTIONS BLOCKED FOOF AID, DEMANDED COSTLY TOLLS, STOLE RELIEF ETC. FAMINE ENSUED.
*LITTLE KNOWN GROUP CALLED AL QAEDA HAD A CENTRAL ROLE TRAINING AND EQUIPPING, BEHIND FRONT OPERATION OSTENSIBLY FEEDING STARVING SOMALIS
*BY SUMMER OF 1993, MASS DEATH OF SOMALIA FAMINE HAD GIVEN WAY TO U.S.-LED MILITARY CREEP, AND A DEEPENING URBAN WAR THAT WAS KILLING CIVILIANS DAILY. UPHEAVAL IN RUSSIA, OTHER WORLD EVENTS, LITTLE AMERICAN PUBLIC INTEREST IN THE SOMALIA BLOODSHED.
*JULY 12, 1993 ATTACK: RELIGIOUS LEADERS, CLAN ELDERS WERE MEETING IN A THREE-STORY VILLA — ONE OF THE FEW LARGE ONES STILL INTACT IN SOUTH MOGADISHU AFTER YEARS OF CIVIL WAR. I WAS TOLD LATER THAT THEY WERE DISCUSSING A POSSIBLE PEACE OVERTURE TO THE UN MISSION. AIDEED WAS THERE, BUT HIS SPY NETWORK WAS SO GOOD, HE ESCAPED BEFORE THE BLOODSHED.
US ATTACK HELICOPTERS, FIRING FROM THE DISTANT HORIZON, PANCAKED THE BUILDING, KILLING SCORES OF PEOPLE. JOURNALISTS SOUGHT ASSURANCES OF SECURITY FROM AIDEED’S CLAN TO COVER WHAT SOMALIS CALLED A US MASSACRE OF CIVILIANS. THE UNITED NATIONS MISSION (UNOSOM) CALLED IT A COMMAND CENTER.
*WITH THE SECURITY GUARANTEE, SEVERAL WENT TO THE SMOLDERING RUINS AND WERE QUICKLY SET UPON BY AN ANGRY MOB.
*FOUR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES DIED IN HORRIFIC WAYS THAT I WILL NOT DESCRIBE HERE. THE STORY OF THE MASSACRE — THE ONE THEY BRAVEY SET OUT TO REPORT — WAS LOST IN THE INTERNATIONAL HORROR AT THE DEATH OF JOURNALISTS
*I ASK YOU TO HONOR THEIR MEMORIES NOW, BRAVE JOURNALISTS WHO DIED TRYING TO TELL A HARSH TRUTH:
*HANSI KRAUSS, GERMAN: PHOTOGRAPHER, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
*ANTHONY MACHARIA, KENYAN: TV SOUNDMAN, REUTERS
*HOSS MAINA, KENYAN: PHOTOGRAPHER, REUTERS
*DAN ELDON, AMERICAN & BRITISH, PHOTOGRAPHER, REUTERS
*MUST ACKNOWLEDGE: DIRTY SECRET OF FOREIGN REPORTING IS THAT MUCH IS OFTEN MADE UP. (BEFORE INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA, LITTLE CHANCE THAT OFFENDING WOULD BE CAUGHT. SOURCES FAR AWAY, UNAWARE OF REPORTING AND UNCONNECTED IF THEY DO DISCOVER AND WANT PUNISHMENT.)
*ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT FOR A CONFLICT REPORTER. WHILE COVERING THE FIGHTING AROUND YOU, YOU HAVE TO FIGHT PERSONAL BATTLE BETWEEN WHAT YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW AND WHAT THE PROPAGANDISTS WANT YOU TO THINK YOU KNOW.
*THE GUILTY ARE USUALLY THE PRETENDERS. CONFLICT REPORTERS WHO GET OUT INTO THE FIELD HAVE TO MUCH GOOD MATERIAL TO INVENT THINGS. EARLY IN THE LAST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER, I WORKED ON ONE OF THOSE RICH STORIES THAT PROVE FACT IS GREATER THAN FICTION.
*PERSUADED AN OVER-THE-TOP MARINE MAJOR TO LET ME INTERVIEW HIM.
HIS NAME WAS MAJOR MIKE COLLIER. DESCRIBE. TABAAKO WEYEN. BIG TOBACCO. BECAUSE OF HUGE CIGAR HE LIKE TO CHOMP. FOR SOME ODD REASON, US MILITARY MADE HIM LIAISON WITH NGOs.
STORY APPEARED IN LONDON SUNDAY TIMES WITH INVENTED QUOTES AND OTHER CONCOCTED DETAILS EVEN THOUGH REALITY WAS ALREADY OVER-THE-TOP CRAZY
WARNICK LET ME OFF HOOK
*BY SEPTEMBER, THE US-LED MILITARY OPERATION TO ARREST MOHAMMED FARAH AIDEED, A SOMALI WARLORD WANTED BY THE UNITED NATIONS, IN CONNECTION WITH THE MASSACRE OF PAKISTANI PEACKEEPING TROOPS, WAS HEADING OF THE RAILS
THAT MONTH, I SIGNED A LETTER ALONG WITH TWO BRITISH JOURNALISTS REQUESTING AN INTERVIEW-IN-HIDING WITH AIDEED. A MESSENGER DELIVERED IT TO AIDEED’S FINANCIER, ARMS SUPPLIER (AND SUSPECTED CIA OPERATIVE) OSMAN HASSAN ALI — BETTER KNOWN AS OSMAN ATO — THE THIN ONE
*HE ARRESTED BY SAME SPECIAL FORCES HUNTING AIDEED ON SEPTEMBER 20
HE ARRESTED, AND CHOPPERED TO AN ISLAND IN THE INDIAN OCEAN, WITH OUR SIGNED NOTE IN HIS POCKET.
SATELLITE PHONE CALL FROM FOREIGN EDITOR PAUL WARNICK
HE TOLD ME HE HAD JUST GOT A CALL “FROM SOME GUY AT FOGGY BOTTOM.” SAYS YOUR NAME WAS ON A LETTER ASKING AIDEED FOR AN INTERVIEW?
IT SEEMS THE STATE DRPARTMENT OFFICIAL WAS QUITE WORKED ABOUT IT. BY WARNICK’S RESERVED DESCRIPTION, HE SOUNDED APOPLECTIC.
I WAS AFRAID THE NEXT SENTENCE WAS GOING TO BE THE ORDER TO GET OUT. I WILL NEVER FORGET PAUL WARNICK FOR WHAT HE SAID INSTEAD:
“I TOLD HIM TO FUCK OFF. AND I HUNG UP THE PHONE.”
*THAT SAME WEEK — FIVE DAYS AFTER OSMAN ATO’S ARREST, SEPTEMBER 25, SOMALIS MANAGED FOR THE FIRST TIME TO SHOOT DOWN A BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER
EXPLAIN WHY NOT PHOTOS OF AMERICAN BODY PARTS PARADED. PENTAGON LIES. WHEN HAPPENED AGAIN, OCT. 3–4, I HAD TO GET INCONTROVERTIBLE PROOF THAT MISSION WAS SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL.
IMPACT ON CLINTON
FEBRUARY 1994 — I WAS IN KIGALI, RWANDA. MY INTEREST IN THE TIME WAS CONFICT IN NEIGHBORING BURUNDI. HOTEL DES MILLES COLLINES FIVE-STAR SO SPENDING A LOT OF TIME IN KIGALI
*REQUESTED INVU WITH BRIGADIER-GENERAL ROMEO DALLAIRE — COMMANDER OF 2,500-PERSON UN FORCE IN RWANDA, TRYING TO KEEP A VERY FRAGILE PEACE
IN THE TWO DAYS BEFORE I MET WITH DALLAIRE, HUTU EXTREMISTS WIELDING STICKS, MACHETES, HAND GRENADES KILLED UP TO 50 PEOPLE, AND WOUNDED 50 MORE, IN KIGALI ALONE
INTERAHAMWE MARCHING THROUGH STREETS
INTERVIEW WITH DALLAIRE IN KIGALI AS INTERAHAMWE BECOMING MORE BOLD IN DAILY KILLINGS, LAYING GROUNDWORK FOR FULL-SCALE GENOCIDE THAT RWANDANS (AND DALLAIRE, HIS SUPERIORS ETC.) KNEW WAS COMING
ASKED DALLAIRE WHAT HE DOING TO STOP KILLING
EXPLAINED UN MANDATE ALLOWED HIS TROOPS TO KILL IN ORDER TO SAVE SOMEONE’S LIFE
*SO FAR, HE TOLD ME, HIS FORCES HAD FIRED ONLY TWO WARNING SHOTS
*AFTER SOMALIA DEBACLE, CLINTON ADMINISTRATION DETERMINED TO AVOID INTERVENTION IN RWANDA. WORD GYMNASTICS TO FOLLOW ORDERS NOT TO CALL GENOCIDE (DETAILS) STATE DEPARTMENT CALLED IT “TRIBAL KILLING.” JOURNALISTS BOUGHT A LIE BASED, IN PART, ON A FUNDAMENTALLY RACIST VIEW OF AFRICA
PLANE SHOT DOWN IN APRIL, KILLING PRESIDENTS OF RWANDA ND NEIGHBORING BURUNDI — GENOCIDE OFFICIALLY UNDERWAY APRI 6, 1994
*I IN SOUTH AFRICA TO COVER FIRST DEMOCRATIC ELECTION AT DEATH OF APARTHEID. WANTED TO SHIFT TO RWANDA AT START OF GENOCIDE.
*WARNICK, WHO HAD HEROICALLY BACKED ME SO MANY TIMES BEFORE, DENIED MY INSISTENT REQUEST TO HEAD FOR RWANDA: “THAT’S JUST TRIBAL KILLING,” HE TOLD ME.
*BITTER IRONY OF MAKING IT ALL THE WAY ACROSS RWANDA WITH RPF FIGHTERS AS THEY DEFEATED THE GENOCIDAIRES, ONLY TO FIND THE US MILITARY FEEDING AND TREATING THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES AMID MASS DEATH OF CHOLERA IN NEIGHBORING ZAIRE
AMID ALL THE NOISE ABOUT FAKE NEWS AND TRAITORS — I’M THINKING HERE OF EDWARD SNOWDEN AND OTHER PATRIOTIC LEAKERS — IT’S WORTH REMEMBERING JOHN PAUL VANN, AN AMERICAN HERO IN VIETNAM.
*VIETNAM WAR MARKED THE BIG SHIFT IN COMBAT REPORTING, WHEN (LARGELY FREE OF CENSORSHIP) JOURNALISTS WORKED HARDEST TO CHALLENGE THE OFFICIAL LINE.
BRIGHT SHINING LIE: OPENING SCENE, WHEN NEIL SHEEHAN EXPLAINS AT THE FUNERAL OF JOHN PAUL VANN, A FORMER US ARMY LIUETENANT-COLONEL HOW THE US MILITARY TAUGHT A FRESH GENERATION OF WAR REPORTERS TO FIND AND REPORT THE LIES OF VIETNAM
BIRTH OF THE “CREDIBILITY GAP”
*CONSTANTLY WONDER WHY DALLAIRE DIDN’T HELP ME REPORT THE TRUTH OF WHAT WE BOTH KNEW WAS UNFOLDING, CONSTANT WONDERING WHETHER IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. (THE GENOCIDAIRES WERE NOTHING NEXT TO SOMALI MILITIAMEN. I SUGGEST IT WOULDN’T HAVE TAKEN MUCH TO SCATTER THEM, AT LEAST SAVE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS LIVES)
*EDITORS ALWAYS SAY: NO STORY IS WORTH DYING FOR. I ALWAYS DISAGREED.
GLOBAL DEATH TOLL MARKS THE HIGH COST PAID BY THOSE DETERMINED TO GET THE TRUTH: 1,262 JOURNALISTS KILLED SINCE 1992, SEVERAL FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES (C TO PJ) MOST ARE LOCAL JOURNALISTS SACRIFICED FOR THE TRUTH
*CONCLUDE WITH WHAT SOME WILL FIND UNORTHODOX THOUGHT, ONE I HOPE COMES UP FOR DISCUSSION WORKSHOPS. NEED FOR ACTIVIST JOURNALISM IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS, WITH CARE TO RETAIN CREDIBILITY. (PUBLIC CRAVES COMMITMENT ETC. OBJECTIVITY LARGELY A LIE ANYWAY, ESPECIALLY IN THE FACE OF MASS KILLING)
CRISIS IN MASS MEDIA, AUDIENCE FRAGMENTATION, PUBLIC CRAVING FOR COMMUNTY
