成人论坛

‘We have been covering places like West Africa and Afghanistan year after year, putting in serious resources and effort when they haven't been in the headlines,’ says Bob Jobbins, outgoing director, English Networks and News. ‘As a result we have built up significant audiences in those areas.’
 
The work of correspondents such as Mark Doyle and Kate Clark in these areas illustrates how a committed presence pays off when major developments suddenly force the story into the world's headlines. Moreover, their reports are critical to the local population.
 
‘They may not be well known in Britain – but in their target areas they are journalistic lifelines,’ says Jobbins. ‘They don't just give the news about what's happening to the rest of the world but to the people who are directly affected.’
 
Overseas reporters for the 43 language services work alongside 成人论坛 staff correspondents. But as the death of a Sri Lankan reporter this year makes chillingly clear, it can be dangerous work for anyone involved, despite all the precautions.
 
‘Many of our reporters have to live and work in difficult circumstances and sometimes in places that are dangerous,’ accepts Jobbins. ‘We would not sacrifice somebody's security or safety for the sake of a story. But sometimes in the local political environment their work can become dangerous or controversial very quickly.’

An overseas reporter in Sri Lanka who regularly worked for the 成人论坛 Tamil and Sinhala services, Mayilvaganam Nimalarajan was at his home in Jaffna with his parents when gunmen broke in. The attack left him dead, his father seriously injured and his mother traumatised. His wife and small children were not present during the attack.
 
‘We believe that the attack took place because of his reporting on the recent election campaign,’ says Elizabeth Wright, head of Asia & the Pacific. ‘There had been many accusations of dirty tricks and vote rigging, and Nimal had filed regularly. It highlights the dangers our journalists face all the time.’
 
Colleagues say he often talked about the risks of working in one of the most dangerous areas in the world, but this never prevented him from doing his job – or campaigning for press freedom.

Mark Doyle (1) led the field with his reports from Sierra Leone and Guinea on themes of migration, refugees and conflict. On reporting from Africa, he says: ‘Like anywhere, it's full of ordinary people just getting on with their personal lives. Anyone who claims to be an “expert” on Africa – as if it were a homogenous region where simple rules apply – is either arrogant or just plain silly.’
 

After accusing the 成人论坛 of biased reporting of its order to destroy Afghanistan's Buddhist statues, the ruling Taliban government ordered Kate Clark (2), the 成人论坛's Kabul correspondent, to leave the country. ‘I've always known I could have to leave at a moment's notice, and always tried not to get too attached. But still, the order to leave was a huge shock,’ she said. ‘So many people listen to the 成人论坛 and you want to get the news right for them.’
 

Belgrade correspondent Jacky Rowland (3) was summoned to the army press centre three days before the elections in September 2000 that led to the fall of President Milosevic. ‘An evil media war is being waged against Yugoslavia,’ announced information minister Goran Matic. ‘[It is] more dangerous than the Nato bombing campaign. And in this very room I can see the 成人论坛 correspondent, Jacky Rowland, who says the elections are already over and the opposition has won.’
 

First he was ordered by the authorities to leave Zimbabwe at 24 hours' notice. Then 成人论坛 correspondent Joseph Winter (4) was forced to take refuge with his wife and small daughter at the British High Commission when a group of men tried to break into his house. ‘We were terrified, and we didn't know what was going to happen to us,’ he said. ‘After intimidating opposition supporters, local journalists, lawyers, judges, and now the foreign press, there are people in Zimbabwe asking, who will be next?’