28 05

WJI 2019, Day 12 AM

After experiencing a joyful yet rainy Memorial Day, WJI students find themselves back in the classroom soaking up Mindy Belz' continued lecture in international reporting called, Strangers in a Strange Land. Today, Belz gave crucial advice for those in the WJI program who want to report abroad.

While Belz was sharing another one of her journalist experiences in Iraq, she reminds us that the life of an international reporter is anything but glamorous. Though the work is usually rewarding, it is also hard, grueling, and emotionally taxing. The three main pieces of advice that Belz gave the students this morning exemplifies this.

The first word of advice that Belz handed out was: travel light. As simple as it sounds, Belz wanted to stress this point. So again, being an international reporter is not glamorous, usually. If you’re going to Iraq to report the war atrocities like Belz did, you’re not going to bring several pairs of shoes and matching outfits to go with them. This, of course, applies to both men and women. Traveling light will make life easier. Traveling light will also help make traveling safe.

Which leads us to Belz’s second piece of advice: Travel safe. Belz mentioned this morning that to travel safe – traveling light is kind of a prerequisite. But there other things an international reporter can do to ensure their safety. Belz recommends befriending trustworthy locals, creating an emergency contact list; keeping it stored somewhere safe, and if possible, finding a good guide that knows the people and area well.

The last piece of advice that Belz left the WJI students with, was to push their boundaries. Many journalists, especially when they’re reporting abroad, tend to stick themselves in places they are most comfortable in. Belz urged the students to get immersed in the community you are trying to gather sources and information in. She even mentioned that doing this could possibly be safer than staying with staying with the aid workers or military – who attract unwanted attention.

Another piece of advice that was kind of on the side, apart from her three main points – was to be kind yourself. Journalist like to take on everything at once, and do everything by themselves, which sometimes causes them to be overly critical of themselves.