compare / contrast

"The Death and Life of Dith Pran," the inspiration behind the Killing Fields and the incredibly real and true story of a New York Times Magazine journalist, Sydney Schanberg and his recollection of his friendship with Dith Pran, his Cambodian assistant for three years, who saved his life and who he was unable to protect when the Khmer Rouge began their purge. He never gave up looking, even though Dith was thought dead. The two men were finally reunited.



Daniele Mastrogiacomo, foreign correspondent for la Repubblica, irresponsibly takes off and follows some dubious lead and gets himself captured. The Italian government, seeking publicity as they try and get funding approved for their mission in Aghanistan (a touchy issue that brought them once already on the verge of collapse) are milking the event for all its worth. Five criminals are exchanged for the Italian journalist. His driver is decapitated in front him. His interpreter? Well no seems to care if he lives or dies. Media circus ensues. Mastrogiacomo becomes the hero of the hour. Every which way you turn he's there, talking about his ``ordeal'' that was so testing it didn't seem to hold him back (within minutes of his return) from penning a full-page ``reportage'' of his exploits, give interviews, pressers where he vainly, disingenuously and smugly displays little interest in the fate of the men who were with him nor does he reveal any telling, perceptive insights to his experience. All that was seen were the flamboyant, rock-star like flick of the hand indicating ``next question, please.''




Frankly, I knew that journalism had become discredited on so many levels but this just makes me want to never stop throwing up.