British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Senior Correspondent Laura Bicker spoke about her coverage in the Russia-Ukraine war during the 16th Teodoro Benigno Jr. Journalism Lecture at Ateneo Professional Schools Amphitheater - Rockwell Campus, facilitated by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) on Friday, November 18.
In Bicker’s lecture, she shared tips in covering the war zone, the issues she experienced, as well as survival where she stressed the importance of safety, minimizing the risk, communicating, having a team, appropriate attire, and the fact-checking of sources.
“The whole reason to become a journalist, the whole reason to do this, the whole reason to go to the war zone is to make sure that we could actually bear witness to these events. For me, the whole reason is to speak to the people who are actually going through it. The whole point of us doing this is to raise the voices of those who would not ordinarily get that chance,” Bicker said.
Bicker also emphasized that danger is the primary factor when entering a conflict area as safety assurance is unclear.
“We want to bear witness, we want to go to the frontline, but the first consideration we have to make at all costs is to protect staff,” she said.
She explained why it is necessary to have a large team and large amounts of equipment when covering war zones. During their television coverage, two vans were used—one in the front and one in the back, to ensure that if one got hit, the other could get out.
Her teams drove for 27 hours while wearing their body armor as they made their way to eastern Ukraine, where they considered the risk of being within missile range.
She also pointed out the importance of the role of news sources, as they were only able to rely on footages. Hence in gathering information, it is also important to be sharp-witted since journalists ought to look out for disinformation in their story, she added.
“When it comes to disinformation, especially in a war zone, it is crucial that you check and you double check. The reason for that is you broadcast something on BBC of all places, and someone will be, they said that on BBC, they say that the Russian is doing this and this and it might not be true.”
She highlighted the situation of individuals in Ukraine, where she witnessed the Russians' violence against women, including rape. She said that the Ukrainian men were separated from the women and children, and that some of them wanted to flee. Despite this situation, Bicker pointed out that a journalist should know when to stay grounded under these emotional pressures.
To wrap the lecture, Bicker entertained questions from online and in-person attendees pertaining to her experience within the journalism field, how she started her career, social issues that journalists are facing today, and the proliferation of disinformation that the Philippines is also experiencing.
Aside from the Ukraine war, in her 22 years in the field, Bicker also covered different conflicts like the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest music festival, the Harvey Weinstein scandal, Hurricane Irma, and the Trump-Kim summit on women’s rights.
Article: Princes Del Corro and Maricel Galut
Graphics: Rhea Dianne Macasieb
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