Tips and advice for foreign correspondents from veteran journalist Elaine Monaghan
Elaine Monaghan joined the faculty of Indiana University’s Media School in 2014 and is a professor of practice teaching courses in data, ethics, reporting, and writing. Originally from Scotland, she joined Reuters’ journalism training program in London upon graduating with a Master’s in German and Russian in 1993. For Reuters, she served as a correspondent in Russia; chief correspondent in Ukraine and Belarus, and in Ireland and Northern Ireland; and from 1999 to 2002, as State Department correspondent in Washington. She then joined The Times of London as the Washington correspondent before moving to Congressional Quarterly. Monaghan continued her focus on international issues as vice president at a strategic communications firm in Washington D.C., notably consulting for Amnesty International USA, before moving to Bloomington, Indiana. She serves as a correspondent for News-Decoder, a not-for-profit news service, and forum for young people, and is co-education lead at IU’s Observatory on Social Media.
How would you advise foreign journalists taking a risk in their physical protection to cover news from conflict zones?
My number one piece of advice is that no story is worth dying for. Also, wherever possible, stick with the pack. Plan meticulously. Treat the safety aspects of your assignment like you would a story: Don't take anyone else's word for anything. Travel with someone who knows the area, ideally, and trust your instincts. And if your editor doesn't trust your instincts, find a new editor.
What lessons have you learned as a veteran reporter and foreign correspondent that you can share with us?
I always tell my students that the most overlooked attribute of good journalists is kindness. We do this work because we love humanity. People will be more likely to talk to you if you are nice to them. (To be clear, I do not mean you should go easy on them in your story.) Also, if you have a reputation for fairness, people will feel more comfortable sharing secrets with you, so always do your research very carefully and never be afraid to correct your mistakes or acknowledge what you don't know. If you work for an outlet that refuses to publish corrections, find another one. Always talk to people you bump into, especially the overlooked. You'll be amazed what you find out and how many folks will take pleasure in helping you out.
When a journalist faces difficult circumstances in his reporting, what should they do and what should they not do?
Follow a code of ethics. If your newsroom doesn't have one, write one yourself. If your newsroom doesn't like it, find a better one or work for yourself.
What tips should reporters know about taking care of themselves at difficult times?
Too often, journalists have put their health last, in my experience. There are lots of places with journalism safety resources online now, so check them out. In general, I think we're getting better at this, but if anything, the circumstances have grown more, not less difficult, because of social media and because we're living through a pandemic, political polarization, and weaponized political rhetoric that are fueling anger against journalists. Some practical tips from my own experience: Don't be the last person to leave the office unless you're in charge of a big breaking story, and there really is no alternative. (Whoever tells you that you should be last out of the office is someone you should ignore. You'll outsmart them by writing stories that take thought and sleep.)
Take breaks to do normal things like going for a walk or exercising or going to a park to smell the flowers and listen to the birds. After a difficult experience, find a trusted colleague or friend to talk it through. Do the same for colleagues who have covered difficult stories. Ask them if you can make them a cup of tea or if they'd like to talk. Get therapy if you're lucky enough to have access to it. I mean now. If you are surrounded by people who act like toughing it out is the only appropriate response, look harder for the people who are not behaving like that. Take time off after a difficult assignment if you possibly can. If you can't, make sure you set clear boundaries for yourself and don't overwork. Ignore social media viciousness directed against you but have someone you trust to keep an eye out for emerging problems. Above all, be kind to yourself and the vulnerable people in your stories. You will thank yourself later.
Are there any difficult moments you remember as a foreign correspondent that you can describe to us? How did those experiences impact you?
I can't remember a story that didn't include difficult moments. There is one funny, difficult moment I'll share. I was on assignment on a far-flung Russian island (it took us a week just to get there), and there was nowhere to stay, so we found this guy on the street called Boris who rented us an empty apartment. He was right that it was empty -- there wasn't even a bed in it; we had to sleep on the floor -- but it had an interesting neighbor who turned up with a gun that night because he wanted to shoot Boris. We managed to talk him into going home. The next morning, we woke up and couldn't get out of the apartment -- we were locked in. We had to climb out the window, which was hilarious because the entire town had already decided we were CIA or something rather than a Scotswoman and two Muscovites, so goodness only knows what they thought when they saw us dropping off the balcony at the crack of dawn, in utter hysterics. Later that night, we came home to a gigantic fresh salmon someone had presumably stolen from the nearby fish farm, wrapped up in newspaper, and threw onto the balcony for us. We poached it in an old aluminum pot we found in the kitchen and ate it with our hands. It was about the best thing I ever tasted.
Media ethics is one of the classes you teach at Media School, Indiana University. What are the three main principles you think young students should learn and integrate into their daily reporting?
I would say the Society of Professional Journalists does this job rather well for us, with its four big principles: Seek the truth and report it; minimize harm; act independently and be accountable and transparent.
What should foreign journalists who come to the US to report for audiences in their countries of origin know?
American journalism is built on free speech principles that we should all be thankful for and do everything we can to defend.
