“It's
a journalist's job to be a witness to history. We're not there to worry about
ourselves. We're there to try and get as near as we can, in an imperfect world,
to the truth and get the truth out.” – Robert Fisk
Born on this date in 1939, English
writer and journalist Fisk grew up in the rural environs of England but became
a reporter of the world. Since 1976, he
has been the Middle East correspondent for various media - but primarily for The
Independent - working from Beirut, Lebanon, intermittently one of the
“hottest” of the Middle East hotspots.
His reporting has earned him
accolades from world leaders, the public, and his fellow journalists. He has been voted British International
Journalist of the Year seven times.
He’s also earned more British and international journalism awards than
any other foreign correspondent and has published a number of books based on
many of the wars and armed conflicts he’s covered. "I think it is the duty
of a foreign correspondent to be neutral and unbiased on the side of those who
suffer, whoever they may be."
Despite his reporting successes, Fisk said
covering war and people’s suffering has taken a toll on his own
well-being. 
“I'm not sure whether I've been
happy,” he said. “After my last book tour, I sat on my balcony with a cup of
tea. I thought: 'You can't rewind the movie. I've spent more than half my life
in the Middle East. There have been great moments, of course, but also great
moments of horror, depression and loneliness.'”
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