It’s a lonely life in the flying hacks circus

By Alison Riedy September 2002

When Jonathon Harley first went to India four years ago he had an expressed disinterest in conflicts and cricket. In the end he covered both.

Speaking at the first of UTS’ specialist reporting guest lecture series, Harley claimed that he did not hold a romantic view of international reporting.

"It is an imperfect science, full of contradictions and frustrations," says Harley. "There is the barrier of language and there is a scene … The circus of swinging dicks."

"It is a boys club," says Harley. "But women correspondents are good because they are so determined."

About one fifth of the whole media entourage are women and, out of the journalists, maybe one third are women. Harley points out that the blokey heritage and culture is gradually changing as more females are attracted to the industry.

Harley first arrived in New Delhi as a radio journalist. Shortly after he was thrown a handicam and told to do TV as well. In those days media organisations were still working on reel to reel tape.

Harley told his captivated audience that the increasing pace of advances in technology may have inadvertently led to a slipping in the standard of journalism.

"It feels like you are feeding the beast, you spend too much time in front of the camera and not enough going out and talking to people," says Harley.

"Multi-media means multiple bosses, you always have to re-invent the story, and then when there are two hours of light left you have to go and get your news story for the next day."

One method that Harley employs to break free from the comfort zone of following the daily reports is to find interesting people to interview that can offer a broader view of the conflict they are experiencing. But he does admit to the experience of feeling "superficial".

"It often feels like you are skipping across the surface of a story," he says. "It feels a little tortured getting what you want from someone and then leaving.

"We all do pretending, it is about minimising the lie."

With 103 journalists killed while overseas last year, safety is always a concern.

When in Afghanistan covering the US reprisal, Harley caught up with a friend named Harry Burton. The Reuters cameraman gave Harley some pictures to use in an upcoming story – a common occurrence among the foreign correspondent set. They agreed to travel together the next day in a press convoy through the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar.

Too impatient to wait, Harley set off that afternoon. He had a feeling that a road near the Khyber Pass, much used by journalists heading for the Afghan capital Kabul, was dangerous and decided to do a story filming the road itself.

The next day, Harry Burton was killed along the very same road Harley had filmed his story. "It is odd looking back on all the people who are dead," says Harley. "You actually don’t think twice about it.

"You do take the risk into account, but nowhere near as much as you should.

"I actually get shit scared a lot … my wife probably wouldn’t agree with that!"

International reporting is fraught with uncertainty. You never know if people will speak to you, if you can film, or even if there is a story, says Harley.

"You can set up the stories from here, but don’t expect to get them. You need to have a fallback story. You need to have insurance."

For a family man, or indeed for a woman, international reporting can be a lonely career.

"Foreign correspondents are always beholden to the events, the bureau. They are never home."

Hopefully, wishes Harley, the future holds a new kind of journalism, what is being touted as "generation X journalism: where you can have the story and still have a relationship."