Keith Richburg, an award-winning journalist and 20+ year correspondent for the Washington Post, graduated with a B.A. from the University of Michigan and received a master’s degree in international relations from The London School of Economics. He is a 2013 Spring Fellow at at Harvard University’s Kennedy Institute of Politics and the author of “Out of America: A Black Man Confronts Africa.” He visited campus this week as a guest of the Dow Journalism Program.
Where is the most interesting place you’ve reported from?
Every place I reported was interesting because of a specific time I was there. For example I would say that Hong Kong was a fantastic place to be because was there from the year 1995-1997, so I got to straddle the transition to China. Covering Indonesia during the fall of Sudharto in `98 was also a fantastic assignment. The Africa assignment was neat because of the book. I think you can do some of the most unique reporting, the most evocative reporting, when the scale of human tragedy is so large. It’s really hard to say that one was more interesting than another because they were all so unique.
What do you think is the most challenging part of being a foreign correspondent?
The most challenging was probably covering the conflict. I would include covering Afghanistan and Iraq, but I would also include covering the massacre in Rwanda, where everything that threatens personal safety is always challenging. Iraq was probably the most challenging in terms of danger, especially if you’re not embedded in a military unit, and I went in without being imbedded in a military unit. So the level of danger is high. We were in with the Northern Alliance troops in Kabul, and just physically getting in there was dangerous. We had to go in by horseback because the mountains were covered in snow. Just physically getting yourself there is the most challenging. Once you get there, world reporting is easy because you’re just reporting what you see in front of you.
How do you think American presence in those countries has affected journalism?
I think it’s made it more difficult. With the combatants fighting each other in Iraq and Afghanistan they don’t differentiate between American journalists and American soldiers. In Africa, which was physically difficult for all sorts of reasons, America was not really a player, so we didn’t have to worry about that too much. In fact, sometimes you had to emphasize that you were an American, so they didn’t mistake you for one of the fighting tribes. In Afghanistan or Iraq, they just thought that all Americans were invading their country, so they didn’t make a differentiation between the American press and media.
What qualities do you think are necessary in a foreign correspondent?
A lot of success in life is just having an enormous amount of luck. It’s just being there and showing up and a part of it is just luck, being there at the right time. I would say that luck is where preparedness and opportunity intersect. You could have the opportunity, but without preparedness, you won’t seize it. You could be prepared, but then the opportunity might never come along. So that’s the definition of luck. On top of that, I’d say be versatile, be flexible, be willing to go anywhere. That’s what a lot of editors look for, and that’s what I looked for when I was a foreign editor. It’s really tough to send people overseas where there might be some element of danger like the Middle East or anywhere in Africa. A certain personality is drawn to foreign correspondence, the people who thrive being on the road, the people who don’t need to constantly be around friends and family. It’s a very weird personality.
Why is it important for Americans to know what’s going on in other parts of the world?
It’s kind of depressing that people don’t know what’s going on in the world because we have more information at our fingertips than ever before. With a click of the mouse, you can learn about any country in the world, you can get first hand sources. The U.S. has to remain engaged in the world. We just can’t help it. It’s not because we want to be the world’s superpower or the world’s policeman, because we really don’t, but it’s because we’re economically intertwined with the rest of the world. It’s absolutely true. When things like Syria come along, just a little bit of reading might convince more Americans that there is a U.S. stake in this. Israel is there, and they’re our main ally in the Middle East. Turkey is there and they’re our NATO ally. Stability of the middle east depends on this. These things really can have an impact on our lives and the way we live here, especially because, like I said, we’re so economically intertwined with the world now.
