From Columnist to Hero: TK is the man

As stated before, I thought that our simulation was a success. Debating the point was more effective than reading about it, as we had to anticipate counter-arguments and be prepared to respond. I was not that enlightened on the automotive industry before this simulation, so I found it very useful as well.

Looking over Seamus's post gave me some inspiration to highlight another bit of information not covered in class. I am on page 78 of Friedman's From Beirut to Jerusalem,  a nonfiction book depicting Friedman's experiences as a journalist in the late 1980's in Lebanon. In the first 78 pages I've learned more about the Middle East than I did in any of my high school courses. Friedman's account of what happened during those turbulent years is at times informative, hilarious, depressing, and surreal. 

The point that struck me was the way journalists operate in such dangerous and uncertain scenarios. He wrote about how it was easy to be sane in the midst of chaos-insanity would come once the country became more stable. He also highlighted instances where journalists were kidnapped or killed after guerilla groups found an article to be displeasing. 

Friedman wrote that the most important ability for a journalist was to be familiar enough with the actors to talk with them, but disinterested enough not to sympathize with them. There were certainly many willing to give their opinion, but anyone truly involved in the militias would not be one to volunteer information. If an individual was giving up information, it wasn't worth having. Wrote Friedman: "It's the people who won't talk to me whom I really want to meet."

Its unfortunate that many people in America do not read the news; some of the most inspiring stories are found in everyday life. Journalists like Thomas Friedman willingly face inconceivable risks just to deliver the news as best they can. It is beyond amazing that they do their jobs so well. It is a shame that their work still remains largely ignored. 

I now have a new appreciation for journalism and the media as a whole. An individual who I once thought of as simply a columnist is now a hero. 493 more pages to go.