Journalism Under Siege: A Battle for Truth

 RYTE

The profession of journalism, especially when delving into sensitive topics such as war crimes, child abuse, and crimes against humanity, faces immense challenges when influential key people, like religious figures, political elites, economical actors, seek to conceal the truth. Journalists find themselves in a constant struggle against pressures that go beyond attempts to silence their voices; they extend to altering their societal status, their professional standing, and hindering their professional development and academic pursuits. Often, symbolic violence is used as a weapon to force journalists into submission or to prevent them from uncovering the truth, of CRIMES (either Economical like money laundering, sex work , human trafficking, drug dealing or War crimes) threatening their professional identity and even their humanity.

This behavior aims to control the journalist, treating them as a possession of another party or a mere tool manipulated for specific interests, disregarding their identity ( As a Family member, as a GENDER, As a ROLE or ROLE model , As a Professional)  and independence (financial, decision, actions).

However, this pressure cannot easily achieve its goal. A journalist cannot be enslaved through torture or threats, as they remain steadfast in their noble mission of conveying the truth. Even if all they possess is “information,” forcibly taking it away does not end their role or value; they will continue to carry their principles and moral compass as part of their identity.

“Negotiations” to silence a journalist, not be to be argued, cannot be at the expense of their existence; it is an attempt at annihilation that contradicts the very essence of journalism. A journalist who roams the battlefields and conflict zones knows how to identify their adversaries and understands that their mission is to convey their voice and truth to those who care. Regardless of the pressure, they must realize that they are speaking in their professional capacity and therefore stand firm against attempts to obscure their role and ignore their principles.

Even in the harshest conditions of conflict, journalists continue to think about the audience of their message and the parties involved in the conflict, without one single interest, carefully selecting their adversaries based on their bias or their attempts to hide the truth. Despite attempts to manipulate their personality or use their name as a bargaining chip to distort their efforts, the journalist’s awareness of their professional identity remains rooted, as they know that any attempt to impose restrictions on them is a fundamental threat to journalism itself.

Even if their name is distorted or their cause is personalized, the journalist remains steadfast in their dealings with the adversary as a voice of truth, understanding that their position is not personal but a principle based on conveying information, regardless of the challenges.

In one confrontation faced by a Our editor-in-chief, she faced direct threats from a prominent lawyer who had  worked for institutions she had worked for. In the form of a “slap,” he claimed, through an intermediary, that he would turn the battle into a personal one by questioning her private life, attempting to claim that her professional activities stemmed from “suspicious” sources. This is despite the fact that everyone knows that her life is dedicated to academia and dedicated professional work. She also faced incitement from another manager who sought, through means of pressure and psychological torture, to block her sources of information and turn her into a marginal figure without influence.

Despite these challenges, this editor decided to create an independent website, with the help of a British publisher, where more than 30 people write, including the billionaire and Saudi researcher Omar al-Zubaidi. She dedicated this website to the search for truth and sharing accurate information. This decision came after the deletion of her old archive on “Blogspot”, which had collected the results of years of work, coinciding with a serious accident she suffered in 2015, which added to her determination to move forward with strength.

Her story embodies how journalism is not a profession that stands in the face of obstacles; rather, it confronts them even in the darkest of circumstances and continues as a voice of truth against attempts at suppression and doubt.