Even Afghanistan
| 10:02 UK time, Thursday, 18 May 2006
There was a time, not that many years ago, when Afghanistan was one of the hardest places for us to cover.
Radio news needs fast reporting and the latest details.
TV news could rely on the impact of stunning, sometimes shocking pictures that occasionally emerged from the remote regions.
But for radio topicality matters, and we had trouble reaching anyone on the phone to tell us what was happening.
Sometimes we could use shortwave, but the result was hardly ever good enough for broadcasting. We got a newsreader to read the words the correspondent had shouted through the hiss.
But now, with satellite equipment that fits in a laptop bag, we can get studio quality from a mountainside in the middle of the remotest regions.
That's great, of course.
But I do wonder if it sometimes gives the impression that the reporter is having a comfortable time.
When it sounded difficult, it was.
And still is. Believe me, balancing your satphone on a rock, trying to find the right direction to get a satellite signal, in a high wind, with your batteries threatening to go flat, is not a low stress environment.
Comments
During the actual broadcast Mr. Damon stated that he would post a link to the blog of one of his interviewees, an Arab woman. The blog sounded interesting. However, no link is posted. I'd like to know what it is.
It also tends to widen the perceived gap between the reporter and the subject perhaps.
Matt