The daily papers may be yielding to the internet, but they won't go down without a fight. Whatever the doomsayers vouchsafe solid written reportage is not dead yet. If this particular kind of journalism isn't penetrating the young consciousness, it should and I urge English teachers, teachers of modern history, sociology teachers and anyone else who can work it into their curriculum to seek out the best reporters, the best "journalists" and ply their charges with the best of their work.
I wonder what today's school-kids imagine when they say they want to be a journalist… do they envisage writing about science, or economics, or celebrities, or do they see themselves as television reporters standing in flak jackets doing the obligatory piece-to-camera in the latest war zone? Do they even read newspapers any more? Do they realise that there are still also people out there in those war zones, without the glamour flak-jacket, just (if they're lucky) the ordinary pock-marked one, that they prefer not to wear because it's way too hot? People who still ply the classic trade of actually writing what they see and trusting that they can do it well enough for the words to stand alone without the sound effects, without (quite often) any pictures, to make it "real"?
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.Tim Butcher's day job from 1990 to 2009 was "journalist". fascinating, harrowing and eventful" - Joan Smith * Independent * He is tough and he's honest" * Evening Standard * "Butcher's book is packed with incident. This book is required reading for anyone even vaguely interested in this remote and enigmatic region" * Daily Mail * "Butcher is really a Victorian explorer and writer endowed with the sterling grit of that age. an admirable book" - Brian Schofield * Sunday Times * "Tim Butcher has a respect and affection for West Africa that is genuine and touching, writing in a way that brings out the exuberance and wit of its people. He exposes the toxic cocktail of colonial exploitation, tribal conflict, ritual violence and blood diamonds that spits out regional monsrosities such as Charles Taylor. "scriptions of walking through the bush, of sweltering heat, sweat and swelling blisters are juxtaposed against moments of beauty.a test of endurance" - Aminatta Forna * Sunday Telegraph * "A brave book by a writer of skill and principle.
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