WASHINGTON, DC, Day 9 of 40 — As this article points out, the craft of conflict coverage is more dangerous than ever before. Despite this, into the fray go many freelancers who, like myself four decades ago, seek to take part in the broad conversation that is journalism — and to establish themselves as protagonists in that conversation.
To this day, I periodically venture into the dark world of conflict coverage when I feel that I can add something to that broad conversation. And I stress the word, “periodically,” as time, experience and the loss of friends/colleagues in the field conspire to diminish my psychological shield of invincibility.
But other freelancers, younger and perhaps less conscious of the damage that a single projectile from one of the weapons depicted here can inflict on human flesh and bone, replace the older generation.
It is this new generation of freelancers that is a large part of my motivation for creating the documentary series, FREELANCERS. These are the men and women stepping into the void of coverage left by mainstream media retreating from news coverage around the world. Many of them are young and ambitious, following the path that I went down in the 1970s and 80s. They forego a life of security and stability in exchange for a lifestyle of exploration, adventure, meaning and purpose.
You can watch the five-minute sizzle reel of the series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=13&v=Zr5ZwWrUD5E
You can check out our Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign here: https://www.indiegogo.com/…/freelancers-with-bi…/x/13900262…
We are in the 9th day of a 40-day Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for post-production of the series. My intention with this series is to raise awareness about this new breed of dedicated professionals who we call freelancers searching for truth on the ground in far off lands — sometimes in perilous circumstances — too often without the support, recognition or financial compensation typically enjoyed by staff correspondents.
I appreciate any support you might be able to provide on this endeavor.
Thanks for your attention.
Bill Gentile