This is a thought provoking and insightful piece from Calais Migrant Solidarity – a great group overall. The language of “crisis” is one to use cautiously; referencing the human reality and not the political rhetoric of the moment. The point stands for anthropologists as well as journalists.
Journalists are everywhere in Calais these days. A real swarm of them. Strutting around the jungle, barging into people’s tents and private spaces, asking the same questions over and over (can’t they google, or read each other’s stories?), shoving their oversized cameras in people’s faces without asking for consent …
Are all journalists bastards? (AJAB?) Maybe some are decent people, actually give a shit, care about more than careers or racist agendas or Owen Jones sized egos. For instance, this recent article in the Daily Mirror is commendable: it not only treats the people stuck in Calais as people, but clearly conveys useful information. A journalist who can write, and actually did some research! And some of the local Calais media are pretty good, reporting sensibly and knowledgeably about the issues.
The thing is, though, it’s not just about individual journalists good or bad. The mass media play a systematic…
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Siobhán McGuirk 