According to Shri Najeeb Jung, the Lieutenant Governor of New Delhi, the light and the hope that comes out in the modern world is from the pen of a journalist. He made this statement while inaugurating the Asia Reporters’ Meeting organised by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi last October.

Attended by 20 journalists from 10 Asian countries, the meeting offered the participants a platform to share experiences and discuss trends and challenges confronting the media in the reportage of humanitarian issues. One of the participants from Afghanistan, Waheedullah Massoud, the BBC Bureau Chief in Dari, opined rather philosophically that he hoped that he would, one day, be “…asked to speak about peace and not conflicts anymore.” His statement was as much a reflection of his experiences as a journalist as it was also of those ordinary people who have constantly witnessed conflicts over the last few decades in diverse contexts globally.

The discussions examined the role that journalists could play in stopping the world from looking the other way in times of emergencies, and challenged humanitarian organizations to continuously engage with the media. Some core issues such as addressing forgotten conflicts, the impact of social media on the coverage of emergencies, points of concern when reporting from areas of ethnic tension and natural disasters were discussed at length. The speakers threw light on the critical role that the media played during such situations as the Rwandan genocide, Somali floods, the Ebola Outbreak and the Nepal Earthquake.

An interesting concern was expressed by Namkhai Norbu from Bhutan, who highlighted the challenge of persuading a community who believe in astrology that science is actually what provides an understanding to the occurrence of natural disasters, emphasising the point that for a journalist, it is very difficult to convey useful information if readers refused to accept scientific reality.

The discussions from the floor featured critical questions, including how the media can sustain raging conflicts in the consciousness of the public and of decision-makers so that the suffering they cause are not forgotten, and the vulnerability of women journalists in conflict situations. One of the speakers enjoined participants to share individual and personal stories that interest people across the world to ensure that conflicts stay on in public memory.

Some important recommendations were made at the end of the meeting. They include the need to rely more on local journalists in covering a conflict or disaster situation, the need to use information obtained from only credible sources, and the necessity to ensure personal safety while on dangerous professional missions. Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung’s comments during his interaction with the participating journalists is a fitting way to sum up the proceedings. In his opinion, it should always be remembered that a journalist has no religion, no caste, no region and no country, and as a result of this, journalists must learn to operate across barriers and countries.