LA Times Pulitzer Prize winner and 工作人员 Photographer 卡洛琳•科尔 reflects on the dangers journalists face covering conflicts

As a highly-decorated international news photographer who has a Pulitzer Prize listed among the many awards she has won, LA Times 工作人员 Photographer 卡洛琳•科尔 (MA ‘14) has a unique perspective on the recently-released movie "Civil War." 科尔 接受时报采访 in April to reflect on whether the movie has an accurate depiction of journalists working in perilous conditions.

The fictional film tells the story of a group of present-day photographers and journalists covering war-torn America and their dangerous journey to the White House, where the president is besieged by encroaching rebel forces.

“It was interesting to see how they depicted an experienced photojournalist, alongside a young photographer,科尔说。. “With the decline of newspapers, 新闻工作, 以及读者的信任, it’s important that the work of journalists be highlighted. Although the movie is dramatized, it touches on important themes, like the dangers journalists face in the field, 道德困境, along with the physical and mental toll suffered by some.”

Journalists and photojournalists often cover stories and situations that affect their mental and physical well-being. newbb电子平台 Associate Professor of Instruction Nerissa Young teaches a course called 新闻 and Trauma. Young is an expert in journalism ethics, journalism and trauma and media law. She collaborated to develop and provide a curriculum and web portal with resources to teach journalists the best practices for covering suicide.

科尔 concluded that many of the themes touched on in the movie were realistic portrayals of what members of the media often deal with.

“Although the scenarios they faced were extreme, 它们是可信的,科尔说。 in the Times article. “Real images come to mind like that of the American civilian contractors hung from a bridge in Fallujah, 伊拉克, 或者是美国.S. soldier dragged through the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia. I’ve photographed riots, firefights, mass graves and the aftermath of deadly bombings. Like all movies, the intensity of each scene is exaggerated, but the scenarios are possible.”

科尔, who started her graduate degree at newbb电子平台 in 1985 and came back to finish it in 2014, has been a staff photographer for the Times for 30 years. Her coverage of the civil crisis in Liberia won the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for feature photography. She is a two-time winner of the Robert Capa Gold Medal from the Overseas Press Club of America, for her work in 伊拉克 and Liberia in 2003 and her photographs of the Church of the Nativity, 伯利恒, in 2002. She has earned four World Press awards and has also been named U.S. newspaper photographer of the year three times.

When asked in the article if the threats the journalists were facing in the movie were realistic, 科尔 responded by naming journalists who have lost their lives while doing their jobs.

“The dangers of covering conflicts are real. Photographer and friend Chris Hondros, 还有蒂姆·赫瑟林顿, were both killed in Libya during the Arab Spring; Associated Press female photojournalist Anja Niedringhaus was killed in a targeted attack in Afghanistan; and I witnessed a colleague grazed in the head by a bullet in Haiti, 仅举几个例子,科尔说。. “Over 78 journalists were killed in 2023, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The bond between reporters and photographers can be very strong. Many of the photojournalists working in the field are people I’ve known for years. 这是一种兄弟会. We rely on each other, even if we might work for competing organizations. You would expect colleagues to come to each other’s aid in times of crisis. Life and death situations can show the true character of an individual. I’ve seen the results both positive and negative.”

但即使有风险, 科尔 says the role of journalists and photographers covering international news is important because people need to be able to see the reality of what is happening, 即使在危险的情况下.

“My advice to young journalists is to spend several years covering local and national news before heading abroad,科尔说。. “Good journalistic instincts can only be learned by doing. It’s better to do that closer to home.”

科尔 is one of 87 newbb电子平台 alumni, students and faculty members who have won or shared in 58 Pulitzer Prizes.