Libya: Kidnapped Journalists

Lynsey Addario for the New York Times

Over the past few weeks, journalists from many news outlets were sent out to Libya to cover the protests and riots that are being led by the rebel army in Libya. While working on their assignments, four New York Times journalists were kidnapped by the rebel forces.

Imed Lamloun for Getty Images

The Times first reported the missing status of its photographers, videographers and writers on March 16, and stated that they believed that Libyan government officials had swept up the journalists. However, it was not until one week that later that their suspicions were confirmed and all the journalists were released.

Tyler Hicks for the New York Times

As journalism students, we often picture our future careers to be the glamorous newsroom jobs that we see featured on the 5 o’clock news every night. We’re so busy thinking about our dream jobs that we tend to forget about the non-glamorous aspects of journalism. We forget about the jobs that we have to take in order to make it to that newscaster position, and we forget to consider the excruciatingly hard work and overwhelmingly difficult assignments that allow us to climb up the corporate ladder.

Lynsey Addario for the New York Times

Events like this kidnapping are a reminder that journalism is not glamorous. Oftentimes it is dirty, risky and difficult. However, despite the danger and inconvenience, it is the journalist’s responsibility to report world events.