Last weekend we received word that ABC news co-anchor Bob Woodruff and his cameraman Doug Vogt were severely injured while covering the Iraq war. Today they’re showing signs of improvement and will hopefully be airlifted to the US later this week.
Wow. It’s one thing to hear war stats on the radio, but to attach a face to those stats… well that really brings the point home.
As a writer, a former stringer for the local newspaper, I instantly thought of all the times I drove a little too fast in icy conditions to “get the story.”
I remember racing across a busy highway to snap a pic of a split tanker car glugging copious amounts of corn syrup into a neighboring wetland. Had to hurry before the dang thing emptied and I’d lose the photo op. Semi almost hit me as I sprinted across the tar.
Writers are a curious lot. We’ll move heaven and earth to get down to the brass tacks of a story. We’ll risk life and limb ferreting out that one golden piece of information will make or break our article/book/project.
And today Woodruff and Vogt and paying the price we all must consider before we place our story above all else.
My thoughts are with these two fine men and their families. My prayers are fixed on every reporter who tempts fate.
And to every soldier who risks their life daily, I humbly salute you.
Here’s a link to read more:
http://tinyurl.com/bvbcq
Talk later,
Beth
FilbertPublishing.com
BethAnnErickson.com
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/CopywriterMastermind
