Print journalism

Reporting on the war in Syria was the toughest work I’ve ever done. I returned to Lebanon to report on the Syrian war and its resulting refugee crisis because it felt close to home. What kind of journalist would I be if I couldn’t contribute to reporting on my own region? What I found is that it’s especially hard when the topic of your reporting is a war happening to people who you might know, who speak your language, and who are familiar to you.

When you’re reporting on death, starvation, and brutal war daily, a part of you can only continue if you become numb. I think this is the part I struggled with the most.

But it was also where I learned the foundations of solid journalism and breaking news. I learned to report quickly and gather facts faassstt. Write concisely. I learned the value of building a source list in every town, calling people, and the fantastic resource that social media and Whatsapp provide journalists, especially during wartime.

More than anything, I learned the value of local reporters. Those on the ground and from the places we report on. Mohammad Nour al Akraa, aka “Jimmy”, I couldn’t have done any of this reporting without your patience, dark humor, and wisdom.

Occasionally, I also reported on my country’s politics, which was rewarding but mostly frustrating.

Ultimately, I left the WSJ because I couldn’t cope with being numb anymore. I had some PTSD, and I wanted to move into more creative ways to tell stories I cared about. But the skills I learned in print are the ones that serve me the most in my career. I’m still in awe of my peers who continue to do this work, and have immense respect for them.

– Dana