Then somebody suggested I should write about the war, and I said I didn't know anything about the war. I did not understand anything about it. I didn't see how I could write it
Martha GellhornRead
To be a good reporter, writing about war, you have to write about the people. It's not about the tanks or the RPGs or military strategy. It's always about the effect war has on civilians, on society, and how it disrupts and destroys lives.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Good reporting on war focuses on human stories rather than military details.
Janine Di Giovanni emphasizes that effective war reporting should center on the experiences and struggles of civilians. The impact of war is felt most deeply by the people affected, and understanding their narratives is essential to grasping the true cost of conflict.
Themes
WarReportingCiviliansImpactSociety
In practice
Example use cases
During a journalism seminar discussing the human impact of conflict.
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