Reacting to the ‘Syrian Boy’
During her daily CNN show Kate Bolduan started to cry while discussing the video of the small Syrian boy. The video is going viral on facebook even after the footage of the 5 year old boy – Omran Daqneesh had already hit the news cycle. Bouldan wasn’t trying to make the story about her – she was just responding as I am right now as I write this.
I’m not sure how we’re supposed to respond to this as journalists, as commentators or just as human beings. Walter Cronkite in an interview with Terry Gross spoke of the moment that he told America that President Kennedy was dead: “Well, I wasn’t concerned about my eye tearing, I was concerned about my voice choking and not being able to speak. That concerned me quite a lot. The tearing didn’t matter. I certainly didn’t really think about it except the concern that I wouldn’t be able to get the words out.” I’ve broken up more times that I can think of while on the radio reporting and I’ve photographed through tears too many times.
The situation in Syria is something that couldn’t be written as fiction – it would be too over the top for readers. It’s bad enough there, that we as journalists can’t even cover it. Many news agencies no longer even buy photos from the region, as it’s too dangerous and they don’t want to encourage people to go. That’s why usually when you see footage from there it has a AMC or Allepo Media Center tag on the video.
I mention this not to change the subject from Omran just trying to explain why we only see small snippets of video from Syria and why a tragedy this large isn’t on the nightly news every night. I’m not sure if anything would change if it was continually part of the news cycle, if we’d just get used to it, like police shootings or mass murders. But maybe the noise would create a demand for our government and the UN to push harder for cease fire or at least a no fly zone. Until then, we’ll have our tears.
The New York Times interviewed the photographer, Mr. Raslan, who said he, “was surprised that the images of this one boy drew so much news coverage when… he photographs similar events every day.” I wish that interview was caught on video.
Syria and it’s ripple effect crises have created many ‘viral moments.’ If you remember the other boy – one washed up on the beach, face down. Drowned in the Mediterranean trying to reach something resembling a better life at least until he could go back home with his family. That was a year ago next month. How far have we come? What can be done?
Sadly, his brother died. I think he should also be mentioned by name.
“Ali Daqneesh, the 10-year-old brother of Omran Daqneesh, died Saturday, according to Yousef Saddiq, the director of the Aleppo Media Center.
Ali succumbed in an Aleppo field hospital from injuries sustained in the Wednesday airstrike, Saddiq said.
“He was in critical condition for the past three days and passed away this morning,” Saddiq said. “His mother is still receiving medical care because she is also in critical condition.”
“His brother, whose photo was not taken, no one mentioned him, he died and he is by God’s side now.”
The doctor said Ali suffered a lot of trauma.
“Omran was pulled out of the rubble quickly to come back to life, Ali stayed under the rubble for a while,” he said.”