"Help will always be given at Hogwarts...
... to those who ask for it."
Hi everyone.
One of my favourite things about journalism is its community. Despite the innate sense of competition (especially among freelancers), journalists always seem willing to help others who also identify as being part of it. This has been invaluable to me in the early years of my career.
Other vocations also have their own communities, of course. But in journalism it feels that much more intimate. There also seems to be a mutual understanding that people pursuing careers in the industry today are attempting to do something difficult, motivated only by passion. The common adversity forces us, like penguins in a strong wind, to huddle closer together.
There are occasional moments when I question my own decision to pursue this career. The money, the hours, the uncertainty all pull at the edges of my ambition. But then, without fail, I encounter situations that remind me of this community of journalists, and feel at once at home. (The Frontline Club has been a frequent source of those encounters.)
I was thinking about this because of several conversations I’ve had with other journalists over the past two weeks. One was with the young Financial Times writer Miles Ellingham, who has just become freelance. One was with the Dutch freelance foreign correspondent Daphne Wesdorp, who has been working in Ukraine. And the other was with the British magazine writer William Ralston, whose path I would like to follow.
All three of these people agreed to chat to me when I contacted them, having never met or spoken to me before. All three offered their time, their knowledge, and their encouragement without expectation of return. All that I needed to do was find their emails or phone numbers, and ask for help.
The ability to ask for help has become something of a super power for me. My father professed its importance since my childhood: if you don’t know, just ask. But for many people (including myself), it remains daunting. The possibility of rejection or embarrassment always looms overhead. Once one overcomes these feelings though, it can be transformational. The world becomes a platform of support, not fear.
Thinking about this always reminds me of something Dumbledore (yes, I am bringing out Richard Harris here) tells Harry in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. “Help will always be given at Hogwarts,” he says, “to those who ask for it.” Hogwarts acts as a microcosm, in this case, for the society of (mostly) good people around us.
On that note, thank you all for the help you’ve offered since my last email. I’ve received many offers of introductions, including one involving a potential apartment to stay in in Kyiv. For that, I am very grateful.
You can find some brief details of my current plans, as well as some reading recommendations below. Otherwise, until next time.
C.M.
Plans
Since my last email, I have booked trains to see a friend studying in Bologna in April. I will also be tying this trip in with a visit to Perugia, in Tuscany, where there will be an International Journalism Festival later in the month. Ukrainian journalists will be giving talks and workshops as part of the programme, so I’m hoping this will provide an opportunity to learn more about journalism in the country and make some local media contacts. I’ll be back in Germany at the end of April, and then travelling to Ukraine shortly afterwards.
Recommendations
I contacted Miles and William because of recent stories they had both published. I recommend both of them (worth setting aside some time on the weekend, as they are quite long):
Miles Ellingham for The Financial Times Magazine: Why encountering a beached whale profoundly changes so many people
William Ralston for The Atavist: Mayday: The race to find four children who survived a plane crash deep in the Amazon
The film 20 Days in Mariupol won the Oscar for ‘Best Documentary’ at the Academy Awards last week. It depicts the Russian siege of Mariupol from the perspective of the last two journalists left in the city. I would warn you before watching though: many of the scenes are difficult to watch. You can find it on Channel 4 or Amazon Prime Video in the UK.