OBITUARY: Yasmine Ryan—a sketch of an extraordinary journalist’s international career

Abstract

There is yet much to learn from journalist Yasmine Ryan’s experience, who died tragically in conflicted circumstances in Istanbul, Turkey, on 30 November 2017 after a stellar career reporting in international conflict zones, from the Pacific to the Middle East. One element is relevant to journalism and communications curriculum. We all live in complex times, and for those who choose to exercise their professional craft in regions of conflict, there is a clear need to develop an awareness of how dangerous situations impact on us. The author of this article argues that professional development in this specific area of journalist safety must be designed to provide the individual an ability to self-assess and determine what kind of help is needed and how to access it before a crisis (whether internal or external) erupts.

Keywords

• Arab Spring
• conflict reporting
• journalism
• independent journalism
• international journalism
• investigative journalism