Q&A with Iraqi Journalists

Being at student BYU you are given a lot of awesome opportunities that you would probably never experience otherwise. This week the communications department organized a Q&A forum with Iraqi journalists which I got to sit in on. It was so intriguing, and they taught me a lot about being in the communication profession.

One of my favorite questions that was asked was if Iraq was misunderstood to the extent with how Mormon's are misunderstood and not portrayed accurately in the media.

Here is what one journalist said, "One of the biggest challenges is that the media portrays that a Muslim is willing to kill. This is wrong and not accurate. We have a principle from a prophet that a good Muslim is respective. I am personally offended about the perception of Islam. Read more about Iraq because it is not the country you are hearing about."

Overall what I learned is to not judge. Just because a few people did awful things doesn't mean all Iraqi's are awful people. People in Iraq are just like us and struggle with the same trials. Just because they may look different and talk different from us doesn't mean they are really any different. They are strong people who are courageous and are willing to fight for their beliefs. We are all God's children.

I'm just going to type the other quotes that I loved:

• "Never give up and continue."

• "Most important thing about your job is that you should love it."

• "Sometimes you may cry."

• "You just have to try to do your job by staying objective and keeping feelings and emotions aside."

• "Work is different than in college. Be responsible and professional."

• "Be bold and take risks."

• "It's hard to be a reporter because you put your life on risk."

• "We're afraid. Everyone is watching us."

• "You have to separate your emotions and job. Your strength is how you face these challenges."

• "Journalists in Iraq are courageous and are only upset if what they all writing will upset a group."

• "A secure situation is the biggest challenge."

• "Iraq thinks America is just a place where they start wars, but we still hope to become a stable society like you are."