According to recent statistics, approximately 5.4 million people have died over the last decade as a result of the ongoing warfare in the Congo. 2.2 million people die every year as a result of the global aids pandemic. 16,000 children die every day due to hunger related causes. And there are an estimated 45 million displaced refugees around the world today - only 2.5 million of which are cared for by the United Nations. The question remains: Who cares? According to recent thought, you don't. And here's why. When was the last time you actually did anything to benefit a particular crisis as a result of numbers? Sure, there is some faction of tenderness in each of us. But every time a society gets inundated with harsh statistics, complacency sets in. Experts refer to this phenomenon as psychic numbing - the "deprivation of compassion and deadening of feelings when one is confronted by appalling images, facts, or statistics." Is the West on the verge of a colossal compassion collapse? Are we numbed by the numbers?
Reporter, a feature documentary premiering at this year's Sundance Film Festival, tackles such a subject matter. This HBO Documentary film (produced by Ben Affleck) tells the story of Nicholas Kristof, New York Times Op-Ed Columnist and two time Pulitzer Prize winner, and his ventures into the heart of darkness midst the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo - where countless citizens continue to be oppressed, displaced, and/or killed as a result of an internal war that has been forefront since 1998.
But you do not have to delve too far into this film to realize this story is not simply about Nicholas Kristof; nor is it merely about the pervasive injustice in the Congo. For better or worse, director Eric Metzgar takes a multi-layered approach to this documentary feature and does a little reporting himself. With Kristof and the Congo as his backdrop, Metzgar offers a commentary on the current state of journalism and its impact (or lack thereof) on humanity.
There is no doubt journalism is shifting. The Rocky Mountain News closed its doors early this year; the Sacramento Union folded a month later. A few weeks later, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer ceased all print materials in favor of the web. Of course, the current state of the economy is an obvious culprit to such rumblings. But by no means is it the only one. Over the last five years, the internet has seen an explosion in the blogosphere that is wreaking havoc on journalism as we know it. Technorati estimates that there are over 184 million blogs "out there" and over 900,000 blog posts in the last 24 hours. Everyone has something to say and everyone is saying it. But, is thistoo much? Are we not only oversaturated by the numbers, but information as well? And how does this effect journalism?
Here lies the genius of Reporter. Recognizing the journalistic trend of image (or video) over type, Metzgar lets the crisis speak for itself. But again, this is not just a crisis of the Congo - both journalism and compassion are now at stake. And if you think these are two separate issues, you obviously have not seen the film (and might should before you read any further).
Be forewarned, Kristof has an opinion on the matters. Better yet, Kristof has a method.
According to the New York Times, Nicholas Kristof is "one of the very few Americans to be at least a two-time visitor to every member of the Axis of Evil." And after Metzgar follows Kristof into the confines of Congo's chief rebel and warlord Gen.Laurent Nkunda, this is no surprise. One cannot help but wonder if the Congo would even be on our nation's radar if Kristof was not telling its story. Many would suggest this was the case for Darfur - a crisis that Kristof broke to the world through his relentless reporting.
But do not be confused. This is not about Kristof. This is about journalistic integrity. The difference between Kristof and the rest of the internet blabbers is that Kristof is "at" or "in" the story as opposed to writing outside of experience. In other words, he is the reason we are talking about it in the first place.
But it is still not this simple. Presence and journalistic integrity are only part of the equation. Navigating the numbers of which we spoke of earlier becomes crucial to both reporting and storytelling. According to Ellen Peters, a research scientist speaking on the subject via NPR's Fresh Air, there is a diminishing effect upon outside support when numbers enter the story. For example, people are more inclined to support and/or care for an individual - say Bakit Musa, an 8 year old boy who lost both of his arms as a result of the Darfur conflict, as opposed to the masses dying and displaced midst the country each and every day. In fact, the research suggests that "compassion fatigue" begins to set in the moment 1 additional person enters the picture. (Bakit Musa + 1)
The impact this should have on journalism and film is obvious.
It is telling the story of Dominic in War/Dance as opposed to the estimated 300,000 child soldiers currently fighting around the world. It is telling the story of John in God Grew Tired of Us rather than speaking about the 27,000 lost boys of Sudan. And it is telling the story of Nicholas Kristof, a lone reporter who gives hope to journalism midst the 184 million bloggers you sifted through to read this.
Whether you see Reporter or not, may I welcome you to follow Kristof's column, because if you don't - you just might not know (or care).
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Reporter will be screened by rednoW and North Central College's "The Union" this Friday at 7pm. Join us for Q & A with director Eric Metzgar "via satellite" (not really) after the screening. Reporter is anticipated to air on HBO in February/March of 2010.
Reporter Trailer
