Michelle Lang | |
|---|---|
| Born | 31 January 1975 |
| Died | 30 December 2009 (aged 34) |
| Occupation | Reporter |
| Notable credit | Calgary Herald |
Michelle Lang, also known as Michelle Justine Lang, (31 January 1975 - 30 December 2009) was a print journalist from Calgary Herald and CanWest News Service who was assigned to cover the Afghanistan War where she was killed near Kandahar, Afghanistan. Lang was the first Canadian journalist to be killed on a mission while being an embedded journalist with military unit in the Afghanistan War.[1][2]
Death
editLang was an an embedded journalist on assignment covering a patrol by a NATO unit with Canadian soldiers on 30 December. While traveling in a military convoy south of Kandahar, their vehicle hit an IED roadside bomb. Four Canadian soldiers and Lang died from the blast.[3]
Context
editIn an article written by Patrick Cockburn explains what it means to be an embedded journalist and the dangers of the job. He also explains how it’s changed from being safe to dangerous. He says the term embedded journalism became a bad name in Iraq and Afghanistan. This phrase came to ‘evoke an image of independent correspondents truckling to military mentors who wanted to get information on the war.” The only way to gather this information was to accompany the army. In the early 1970’s he believed that it was safer to be a journalist. In one case Lebanon was giving passes to pass through there checkpoints. In 1984 the Iranian backed groups started to kidnap journalist as on effective way pressure governments and publicize the kidnapers. He explains that embedded can cause limitations in locations. Afghanistan is a known for guerrilla wars, the commander is known for attacking the opponent when there weak. [4]
An article argues the use of embedded reporters and how it has led to media military collaboration. The writer explaions there a collaborative effort by both the government and all the free press and has led to a propaganda war. [5]
Impact
editA total of nineteen journalist eleven of them foreign have been killed in Afghanistan since September 11 including afghan journalist Zakia Zaki. Lang was the seventh woman journalist to be killed in 2009. Other journalists were killed in an election related massacre in the southern Philippines.[2]
Reaction
editIrina Bokava, the director-general of UNESCO, condemned the killing of Michelle Lang, as well as the kidnaping of the 2 French journalists. ““Violence against journalists constitutes an attack on the fundamental human right of freedom of expression; it is therefore a direct threat to democracy. I also condemn the abduction of the two French television journalists, who are being held hostage because they too were doing their duty of gathering information. The fates of these three media professionals cruelly underline the dangers that journalists face when they go into areas of conflict to provide news coverage. I call on the Afghan authorities to do their utmost to obtain the release of the French journalists, and to take measures to increase press security in the country.”[6]
The editor and chief Scott Anderson of CanWest news service said “were all devastated by the loss and our thoughts are with her family and fiancé.” Says journalist put themselves at risk when doing these kinds of stories.[7]
Darah Hansen who worked with Lang in there CanWest news service talked with Lang before she left. Hansen said she wanted to tell Michelle what Afghanistan was like. Hansen had been there a year earlier and said: “Once you’re off the main base, you are not safe. If you’re travelling with Canadian soldiers or any soldiers in that country, you are a target. If you’re travelling by yourself, you are a target.” She said Michelle was a smart and serious journalist.[7]
Personal
editMichelle was an alumnus of Magee Secondary School and Simon Fraser University. Her first job as a reporter was at the Prince George Free Press. She later moved on to Moose Jaw Times Herald and the Regina Leader-Post, and then moved to Calgary to become a print journalist for the Calgary Herald. She won a National Newspaper Award in 2008 for best beat reporting. [8]
The Calgary Herald established the Michelle Lang Fellowship which gives students internship opportunities to report and write for two of of Canada's biggest newsrooms so they can follow their passion in journalism while collaborating with others.[9]
External Links
editThe Michelle Lang Fellowship [2]
References
edit- ^ Committee to Protect Journalists. 30 December 2009. "Michelle Lang." Retrieved 25 October 2011 CPJ
- ^ a b Reporters Without Borders. 31 December 2009. "Embedded Canadian reporter becomes seventh woman journalist killed in 2009." Retrieved 25 October 2011 RSF
- ^ IOL News. "Blast that killed nine was ours, say Taliban." 31 December 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2011 IOLNews.
- ^ counterpunch.org.30 November 2010."Dangerous of embedded journalist” edited by Alexander Cockburn and Jeffery Clair. Retrieved 29 October 2011 [1]
- ^ www.stanford.edu. winterfall 2008. “Grunt Truth of embedded journalism the new media / military relationship.” An article by Kylie Tusto Retrieved 29 October 2011[http://www.stanford.edu/group/sjir/pdf/journalism_real_final_v2.relationship.”
- ^ UNESCO. 7 January 2010. "UNESCO Director-General condemns killing of Canadian journalist and kidnapping of two French television journalists in Afghanistan." UNESCO News Service. Retrieved 25 October 2011 UNESCO
- ^ a b Vancouver Sun. 31 December 2009. "Vancouver journalist Michelle Lang mourned by colleagues" by Doug Ward. Retrieved 29 October 2011. Vancouver Sun
- ^ www.ovguide.com
- ^ Calgaryherald