Het Zijn Net Mensen: Beelden Uit Het Midden-Oosten (2006) - Plot & Excerpts
An easy read by a Dutch reporter formerly stationed in the Middle East, after first studying social sciences and Arabic in the Netherlands. Luyendijk comes across as a clueless version of the author of The Zanzibar Chest (even though that book dealt with Africa), having to report on a huge array of countries without really knowing what's going on at a 'grassroots' level. Luyendijk's fascination with his, as a reporter, inability to get well-balanced stories published in 'his' papers feels, for the most part, like the discovery of a teenager realising he world is -not- black and white. Entertaining, perhaps, but of little real value. In fact, his constant referring to himself as being continuously wrong as to how he -thought- journalism/reporting is supposed to work becomes annoying quickly. Surely, if he was so wrong so often, he clearly wasn't the right man in the right place (and given that he didn't have a related degree, this might indeed be the case). As a result, his dissatisfaction sometimes feel like it can be reduced to the rants of a disgruntled employee. But the author's observations do show a clear insight he developed towards Arab countries during his stay. Not only is journalism in general (or more accurately, the products of journalism) a blunt tool for defining or describing societies and communities, the opaqueness of Arab societies (or should that be, perhaps, Islamic societies?) is such that the blunt tool of journalism isn't just unfit to cut, what it wants to cut doesn't let itself be sliced and dissected in the first place. Luyendijk offsets these challenges in Arab countries with the torrent of slick governmental help journalists get from the Israeli and American governments. What remains is a sad vision of a long list of troubled countries. It's only in his last chapter where the author really gets going. He should have condensed the first two parts of his book, leaving the third part more or less in tact (each part dealing with a different period, and a profound revelation, of his being stationed in the Middle East), and possibly turn the whole thing into a large article. In the last section, Luyendijk lists many of the horrors that never make it to TV (or newspaper), because it isn't considered news. And he gives ample examples of the duality of language used when reporting on the region, depending on who's being covered (Jewish hard liners versus Islamic fundamentalists, etc). The best part of the book. Verplichte lectuur voor elke journalist. Natuurlijk eerder eenzijdig, maar Luyendijk maakt er wel zijn punt mee duidelijk. Zowel interessant als kritiek op de gangbare journalistiek, als introductie tot het Midden-Oosten. Vooral in het nawoord, waarin Luyendijk antwoordt op de kritiek die er intussen is gekomen, komt de auteur iets meer ter zake. Blijft wel de terechte opmerking dat Luyendijk de lat voor de journalistiek erg hoog legt: de waarheid vind je er niet, voor wie die illusie nog had.
What do You think about Het Zijn Net Mensen: Beelden Uit Het Midden-Oosten (2006)?
Het boek is al een paar jaar oud, maar ik vind dat Joris Luyendijk de spijker op zijn kop slaat.
—baybebeebee
worth checking out. good view of media in dictatorships, and of the editorial process.
—Bianca
Heel boeiend om te lezen hoe de wereldpers de gruwelen in het Midden Oosten verslaat.
—Bob
Zeer actueel weer met oog op de huidige problematiek in het Midden-Oosten.
—staffona
Blijft toch een klassieker; prima inzicht in de buitenlandjournalistiek.
—lucas
