'To Be A Witness To History'

 “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, Fisk grew up in the rural environs of England but became a reporter of the world.  He was 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 earned him accolades from world leaders, the public, and his fellow journalists.  He was voted British International Journalist of the Year 7 times.   He also earned more British and international journalism awards than any other foreign correspondent and wrote a number of books based on many of the wars and armed conflicts he 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 took a toll on his own well-being.                           

 

“I'm not sure whether I've been happy,” he said shortly before his death last year. “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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