Seven Questions: Journalists Under Fire

Foreign Policy.com
November 2006

Every day, journalists around the world risk their lives in the pursuit of truth. Three of them are Colombian photojournalist Jésus Abad Colorado, Yemeni journalist Jamal Amer, and Gambian editor Madi Ceesay. The Committee to Protect Journalists recently honored the trio with its International Press Freedom Award for working in the face of harassment, imprisonment, and violence. FP caught up with the awardees to discuss freedom of the press in unfree societies.

FOREIGN POLICY: Why did you become a journalist?

éJésus Abad Colorado: I wanted to capture [on film] events in Colombia that are difficult to express in words. I decided to use the camera to document what was going on with the [guerilla] war. I wanted to tell what had happened to my parents and grandparents, who were displaced by violence. My two uncles were killed. Many millions in Colombia are affected by this war.

Jamal Amer: Growing attacks on press freedom and the extensive corruption are what led me to become a journalist. I felt that it was my duty to expose [these things]. The event that really inspired me was the arrest of three people by Yemeni police. The men were accused of child molestation and [they were] tied up in the center of a market, where people threw stones at them. These three persons were not brought to trial. I investigated the case and the evidence showed that they were innocent, which led to [their] release.

Madi Ceesay: I am by nature a human rights activist. I feel that certain things that need to be reported go unreported. [Journalism] is one way of fighting for the rights of people who cannot speak for themselves.

JAmal Amer: Growing attacks on press freedom and the extensive corruption are what led me to become a journalist. I felt that it was my duty to expose [these things]. The event that really inspired me was the arrest of three people by Yemeni police. The men were accused of child molestation and [they were] tied up in the center of a market, where people threw stones at them. These three persons were not brought to trial. I investigated the case and the evidence showed that they were innocent, which led to [their] release.

Madi Ceesay: I am by nature a human rights activist. I feel that certain things that need to be reported go unreported. [Journalism] is one way of fighting for the rights of people who cannot speak for themselves.

FP: What challenges do you face working in a less-than-free society?

JC: The Colombian government often censors the work of journalists. If the government learned how to respect the voice of journalists, democracy would benefit. It is important that journalists in the region are able to travel to remote areas in Colombia and tell the stories of the people who are suffering. A press that forgets about [rural areas] perpetrates indifference.

JA: The main challenge is the absence of law. The press law in Yemen carries 12 articles forbidding journalists from doing their job properly. These articles can be used by the government to stifle press freedom or to bring journalists to trial. A journalist can be JAiled for one year under this law, or a newspaper can be closed down.

MC: The [political] environment is really hostile. This is a country where a lot of journalists are under detention without trial. There have been a series of arson attacks on media houses and journalists, many of whom have fled the country. As I speak to you, I have a colleague who has been missing for more than three months. This is the kind of situation and environment in which we operate.

FP: There must be times when the risks outweigh the rewards. How do you stay motivated?

JC: I have a lot of fears. I think a lot about my family. But my family is more than my wife, my children, my brothers, and sisters. I know that there are risks when I go to isolated regions to document what’s going on with the people. There are risks to telling people in Colombia what’s going on with the war. But in journalism, we are not only spectators, we are defenders of life.

JA: I have had two scary experiences. The first one occurred in 2002, when I wrote an article about Saudi-Yemeni relations. The police took me from my home and I was JAiled for one week. I was called to appear before a prosecutor in court, which decided to prevent me from writing. The case was appealed and, after four years, they reinstated my rights. The most dangerous experience occurred in August 2005, when armed people came to my house, driving a truck belonging to the Yemeni army. They kidnapped me in front of my home, took me to the top of a mountain blindfolded, handcuffed me, and beat me. People were firing [guns] in the air. They threatened to throw me from the top of the mountain and to sexually assault my children if I didn’t keep my mouth shut. It was a very harsh experience for me. And since then, threats haven’t stopped. But if journalists kept silent, one day we would find ourselves without a country.

MC: I was held for 22 days, incommunicado, and without trial. None of my family members could speak to me, nor my colleagues or lawyers. The conditions were terrible. It was a very traumatic experience for me and my family. But I’m in this business because I want to speak for people who cannot speak for themselves. No matter the amount of intimidation, I still want to stay.

FP: What social and political developments in your countries stand out?

JC: In the past 15 years, 3 million people have been displaced because of the conflict, and 4 million hectares [9.9 million acres] have been robbed from the farmers. I have documented the resiliency of people toward war, especially minority groups. But the problem in Colombia is that those people have no voice, even though they are tired of war.

JA: There is no accountability in Yemen and those who are involved in corruption are not held accountable at all, even though there are lots of reports about the involvement of government officials. It will take a strong political will for there to be change because it means that many high-ranking officials enmeshed in corruption should just be evicted.

MC: The civil society in my country is not really organized. We have civil society organizations all over the country, but each organization is working on its own. There is a need for more coordination.

FP: How would you characterize your government’s view of personal liberty?

JC: The government is only interested in journalists giving a voice to officials.

JA: Yemen has a poor human rights record and basic rights are not respected. Many prisoners are held arbitrarily after the end of their terms. Women in JAil are attacked. We have laws, but they are not implemented.

MC: The government of Gambia does not see the press as anything other than its opponent. Independent media tries to have a dialogue, but the government frustrates our efforts.

FP: What are some of the biggest misperceptions that foreign reporters perpetuate about your country?

JC: Colombia’s conflict is one where the stories of the victims are not told. Most of the stories are told through the lens of drug-trafficking. Many observers see the paramilitary as a solution to the war with the guerillas, and interview [its] top commanders. But they are not looking for the stories of those who have been displaced because of the war, or those who live in miserable conditions. But I do want to recognize some of the things that [my] foreign colleagues do. Some European and American journalists know more about the situation in the provinces than some Colombian journalists do.

JA: Unfortunately, the international media focus on Yemen only when talking about fighting terrorism. And they often turn a blind eye to corruption. They also don’t pay attention to people living in poverty. Societies where people are swimming in poverty are breeding grounds for terrorism. My newspaper, Al-Wasat, tries to shed light on the problem of radical Islamists, but then [those groups] accuse us of not being believers. Unfortunately, they find a kind of protection under the government.

MC: Gambia is simply under-reported. The [international] media, especially the American media, do not really report on us. Though small, we’re unique in some cases. There is a lot of press harassment, so if other media focuses on the journalists in Gambia, it would do us good. If oppressive laws and harassment in the media are regularly reported in international media, obviously that can help us.

FP: Do you think the International Press Freedom Award will help you pursue stories that you would not otherwise?

JC: This award confirms respect for the work of a photo-journalist who looks to the people for inspiration. I very much wish that I can find people and organizations that will be able to support my work in the future.

JA: This is an honor for me, naturally, but it is also a kind of promotion for journalism in Yemen. It is going to encourage Yemeni journalists to cross lines in the future. Even before this award, the pressure exerted by the CPJ made the Yemeni government think twice before attacking journalists. I hope that the American media pays more attention to attacks on basic rights and press freedom not only in Yemen, but also in the rest of the region.

MC: This award will definitely allow me to have access to more information. It is also a sort of motivation. I was so happy when I was nominated because it is such a prestigious award. For a country as small as Gambia, it serves as motivation to my colleagues back home to be given such a big award.

Jésus Abad Colorado is a freelance photojournalist in Colombia. JAmal Amer is the editor of Yemen’s ‘Al-Wasat newspaper. Madi Ceesay is general manager of The Independent in Gambia and president of the Gambia Press Union.

Reproduced with permission from FOREIGN POLICY; November Web Exclusive www.foreignpolicy.com © 2006. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace