Ron Haviv is honored that his films and images for “The Last Column” campaign are part of the Journalists Under Fire exhibition at Photoville.
In a world defined by the 24-hour news cycle, which is constantly augmented and accelerated by social media, journalists risk their lives every day to deliver the words and images we depend on to make sense of what’s happening around us. Yet never before have journalists been more vilified as “enemies of the people” or their work so readily dismissed and brushed away as “fake news.”
Targeting journalists with imprisonment or violence – be it verbal or physical, state-directed or incited – has long been a tool employed by tyrants and despots in hidden corners of the world. But the current use of widespread open attacks should be cause for our concern. Without journalists to bear witness, humanity’s worst impulses are left unchecked to fester and proliferate.
Inspired in part by CPJ’s book and digital campaign, “The Last Column,” the exhibit features the final articles and photographs of fallen journalists, plus CPJ’s #SafetyInFocus campaign, which highlights the risks photojournalists face in the line of duty. “Journalists Under Fire” presents the life and work of several visual journalists who have been killed or are currently living under threat for delivering the news we can no longer take for granted. Their dedication and bravery inspire and remind us to think about the people behind the images.
