60 Minutes reporter suffers brutal sexual assault during Egypt protests

[oilyfan]

No, not Morley Safer, Lara Logan. She is the hot South African correspondent on CBS news and 60 minutes. I know, before people tell me, that this pales in comparison to the other atrocities the Egyptians suffered under Mubarak and the deaths that occurred during the protests. But I have watched her in many reports on 60 minutes and she seems like a smart cookie, sad this happened to her.

http://bltwy.msnbc.msn.com/politics/...-1681513.story

[MJM]

A "smart cookie"? She went there when reporters were being told not to, was subsequently pulled to do the violence, and than GOES BACK where she suffers the latest attack. Doesn't sound very smart to me.

It sucks that it happened to her, but it's not like she didn't have an idea there was a possibility of danger there.

[peter12]

Yeah, b**** deserved it! *rollseyes

The job of journalists is to report the news, even if it puts them in harm's way. It's ridiculous to say "oh well, it sucks" when someone gets raped. Pretty sad story.

[JustAnotherGuy]

It is an awful event. Sounds like quite a few journalists have been attacked over the last few days.

One aspect of the reporting about what happened is that the media is not releasing specific details of what happened to her. Out of respect to the family. I wish the media would do this more often instead of getting into all of the details because they are 'only doing their job'.

[PIMking]

I feel so horrible for this woman. Yet another reason to go in with armed guards.

[The Goon]

It is a shocking, horrific thing what has happened to her. Very sorry to hear this news.

[Gozer]

Originally Posted by peter12

The job of journalists is to report the news, even if it puts them in harm's way. It's ridiculous to say "oh well, it sucks" when someone gets raped. Pretty sad story.

Bold stance by CP's intellectual superior.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Gozer

Bold stance by CP's intellectual superior.

I spit on you from the heights.

[Jimmy Stang]

Although I'm sure that she was aware of the risks (she had been to war zones and other dangerous places before), journalists are vital to a free society and she should be commended for doing her job.

I always laugh when people say that journalists shouldn't go into dangerous places to report the news. I'm sure that the (former) Egyptian government would have been happy to provide the media with their own press releases. And that is exactly why journalists are necessary. They're not asking for sympathy or pity because they are well aware of the risks, but that doesn't mean that we should blame the victim and/or be reluctant to send journalists into dangerous places in the future.

[MJM]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

Although I'm sure that she was aware of the risks (she had been to war zones and other dangerous places before), journalists are vital to a free society and she should be commended for doing her job.

I always laugh when people say that journalists shouldn't go into dangerous places to report the news. I'm sure that the (former) Egyptian government would have been happy to provide the media with their own press releases. And that is exactly why journalists are necessary. They're not asking for sympathy or pity because they are well aware of the risks, but that doesn't mean that we should blame the victim and/or be reluctant to send journalists into dangerous places in the future.

It's different in this situation. Journalists were there and told to leave (or essentially board themselves in to their accomodations) due to the immediate threat to their safety.

The ones that stayed were there to make a name for themselves, plain and simple. This woman was removed from the country for her own safety than went back in on her own accord. This wasn't a hurricane, a warzone, etc. this was essentially a massive riot where it was well known that any foreigner or person perceived to be a journalist would be attacked violently.

[SeoulFire]

Terrible thing but on the other side it is a risk/reward opportunity for those in the field trying to make a name for themselves.

Optional occupational hazard.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by MJM

It's different in this situation. Journalists were there and told to leave (or essentially board themselves in to their accomodations) due to the immediate threat to their safety.

The ones that stayed were there to make a name for themselves, plain and simple. This woman was removed from the country for her own safety than went back in on her own accord. This wasn't a hurricane, a warzone, etc. this was essentially a massive riot where it was well known that any foreigner or person perceived to be a journalist would be attacked violently.

Journalists were being attacked by supporters of Mubarek. She returned after his government fell to cover the celebrations:

International reporters came under attack during the protests in Egypt last week by assailants apparently aligned with the Mubarak regime, but the assaults appeared to stop with Mubarak's departure from power Friday. Reports of violence against reporters died down when the celebrations began.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...021504484.html

The people who attacked her were not the same people who attacked journalists prior to the government falling.

[MJM]

Originally Posted by peter12

Yeah, b**** deserved it! *rollseyes

The job of journalists is to report the news, even if it puts them in harm's way. It's ridiculous to say "oh well, it sucks" when someone gets raped. Pretty sad story.

No it's not ridiculous when someone purposely puts themself in harms way. It's the same for these people from Canada that take off to live in violent/lawless countries and when the crap hits the fan start screaming for the Canadian government to go over their (on the Canadian taxpayers dme) and bail them out.

It's terrible it happened, but it was certainly avoidable with a little commom sense. An attractive western girl going to a middle-east country amidst a huge riot where some of the most veteran reporters are fleeing the country...... Kind of like taking a row boat and going into the middle of Atlantic before a hurricane.

[MJM]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

Journalists were being attacked by supporters of Mubarek. She returned after his government fell to cover the celebrations:



The people who attacked her were not the same people who attacked journalists prior to the government falling.

Regardless of who was doing the attacking, the team was pulled out for their own safety and then raced back to be on scene to be their to cover ousting. Did they think Mubarek's supporters were just going to disappear?

Terrible that it happened to her, but it didn't have to happen. Not a smart decision to enter a hornets nest.

[Gozer]

Originally Posted by MJM

It's terrible it happened, but it was certainly avoidable with a little commom sense. An attractive western girl going to a middle-east country amidst a huge riot where some of the most veteran reporters are fleeing the country.

Get over yourself.
You're not the only one that sees the danger she was in.

Originally Posted by MJM

Kind of like taking a row boat and going into the middle of Atlantic before a hurricane.

Oh, my fault, you are actually blaming the victim. She deserved it.

More likely, you suck at metaphors - she wasn't covering a well-understood and predictably dangerous event, she was covering the emergence of democracy in the middle east and was attacked by cowards and thugs hiding in chaos.

Other than that, very enlightening posts.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by MJM

No it's not ridiculous when someone purposely puts themself in harms way. It's the same for these idiots from Canada that take off to live in violent/lawless countries and when the crap hits the fan start screaming for the Canadian government to go over their (on the Canadian tax payers dme) and bail them out.

Journalists covering an important world event are completely different than Canadian "citizens of convenience".

Originally Posted by MJM

It's terrible it happened, but it was certainly avoidable with a little commom sense. An attractive western girl going to a middle-east country amidst a huge riot where some of the most veteran reporters are fleeing the country...... Kind of like taking a row boat and going into the middle of Atlantic before a hurricane.

Again, your timeline is skewed. She returned AFTER the government fell to cover the celebrations and was attacked by a mob. Journalists were fleeing BEFORE the government fell as they were being detained and harassed by the government and their supporters.

Edit: And to use your analogy, it is like going into the Gulf of Mexico in still waters after Katrina and getting caught in an oil slick.

[MJM]

Originally Posted by Gozer

Get over yourself.
You're not the only one that sees the danger she was in.



Oh, my fault, you are actually blaming the victim. She deserved it.

More likely, you suck at metaphors - she wasn't covering a well-understood and predictably dangerous event, she was covering the emergence of democracy in the middle east and was attacked by cowards and thugs hiding in chaos.

Other than that, very enlightening posts.

Oh I see, it wasn't well understood that journalists and foreigners would be attacked. That's why season vets of covering conflicts left the country (Anderson Cooper, Christiane Amanpoure) due to the immediate threat to their safety.

Was it her fault she was attacked..... Nope.

Was it her fault/her crews fault she was in a position to be attacked..... Absolutely.

[Gozer]

Originally Posted by MJM

Oh I see, it wasn't well understood that journalists and foreigners would be attacked.

I didn't say that.

Let me know which words are too big for you.

edit: I'm guessing "there" and "seasoned" for starters.

[MJM]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

Journalists covering an important world event are completely different than Canadian "citizens of convenience".



Again, your timeline is skewed. She returned AFTER the government fell to cover the celebrations and was attacked by a mob. Journalists were fleeing BEFORE the government fell as they were being detained and harassed by the government and their supporters.

Edit: And to use your analogy, it is like going into the Gulf of Mexico in still waters after Katrina and getting caught in an oil slick.

My timing isn't skewed. Her team was pulled from the country for safety coincerns and than ran back after the fall of the government to likely be one of the first back on the scene.

Clearly they underestimated the resistance they would encounter and didn't take the appropriate precausions, or they just didn't care in an effort to get the story.

[driveway]

Originally Posted by MJM

No it's not ridiculous when someone purposely puts themself in harms way. It's the same for these people from Canada that take off to live in violent/lawless countries and when the crap hits the fan start screaming for the Canadian government to go over their (on the Canadian taxpayers dme) and bail them out.

It's terrible it happened, but it was certainly avoidable with a little commom sense. An attractive western girl going to a middle-east country amidst a huge riot where some of the most veteran reporters are fleeing the country...... Kind of like taking a row boat and going into the middle of Atlantic before a hurricane.

Yes, it was avoidable, but there are times when journalists take risks in order to do their job. And to claim that the journalists who do so are just "out to make a name for themselves" is offensive.

I have no doubt this woman is going to own up to putting herself in a dangerous situation and recognizes that she ran a risk and it blew up in her face. Does that make a 'sustained and brutal' sexual assault any less disgusting or deplorable? Of course it doesn't.

A Free Press and the unrestricted flow of information is one of the pillars of a democratic society. That means people are going to make the choice to put themselves in harms way in order to get that information. When those people are harmed the appropriate response isn't "shouldn't have done that!" The appropriate response is to recognize them as the fata'ing heroes they are and strive to figure out ways to bring more of the world's citizens into open and just societies where things like hundred-thousand strong regime-toppling near-riots are unnecessary.