Citizen Journalist in Iraq

Citizen Journalist to speak on real deal in Iraq



As a freelance journalist in Iraq, David Enders reported on stories that often went untold. In his 18 months in the Middle East-spanning from the outset of the invasion to this summer-Enders accessed areas previously designated unsafe for any westerner, let alone a journalist. The 28-year-old will speak tomorrow at Washington University about his findings and his most recent stint in the Shia-dominated Anbar province, where U.S. forces face new byproducts of war such as ethnic cleansing, factional clashes and the growing refugee crisis.Over the summer, Enders, author of the new book "Baghdad: Bulletin," which chronicles his war coverage, and filmmaker Richard Rowley traveled to Iraq and Syria. It was part of a project chartered by the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting in an effort to tell the real-life stories of the citizens in these war-torn regions.Besides spending about two weeks embedded with troops, a common war coverage strategy of the media that offers maximum safety, Enders spent most of his time with Sunni and Shia militia groups without any American military protection.Regarding his most recent reports, Enders finds that some of the war's most alarming issues have received little attention in the day's public discussion. "The U.S. is contributing openly to war crimes," he said. "But it doesn't seem that that's generally discussed."Zach Dyer, a Washington University alumnus, was one of the people responsible for bringing Enders to the University. "The Iraq subject is interesting because it's a chance to take a topic that is really volatile, really important, and on a personal level affects a lot of Americans," said Dyer.Dyer went to work for The Pulitzer Center in Washington, D.C. after graduating last spring.Enders' reports on Iraq deserve intense consideration, Dyer said, because they ask the essential question: "What's the actual situation in the country?"Along with recognition from The Pulitzer Center, an organization that provides in-depth coverage of global crises, Enders' articles on the humanitarian crises have garnered national exposure. His reports are featured in The Washington Times, Democracy Now!, Foreign Exchange and al Jazeera English. His most recent byline landed locally, on the front page of the "NewsWatch" section in last Sunday's St. Louis Post-Dispatch.Enders, who also teaches English and journalism at the middle and high school levels, has an interest in seeing young people take an interest in global affairs. Students should know "how we interact in the world," said Enders in an interview, and "the best lesson plans are the ones that have a heavy, real-life element to them."For students, Enders' talk may convey the reality of war in Iraq, a version not diluted by politics or network television producers."He's not pandering to any particular audience," said sophomore Raghu Harrington. "The anchors of the major TV stations have a responsibility to be compelling to audience members, but a freelance journalist doesn't have that obligation.""David brings a very interesting perspective to the whole debate," said Pushkar Sharma, the programming coordinator for the International Area Studies department. "There are very few people who have had that experience with that perspective. We would be wrong not to bring him to campus."In addition to his visit to the University, Enders will also speak at area high schools about his reporting, part of the Pulitzer Center's "Global Gateway" initiative to educate young people on the importance of international affairs.For more information on David Enders or the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, visit http://www.pulitzercenter.org/.