February 27th, 2012

Arwa Damon on risks of reporting from Syria

On CNN’s ‘Reliable Sources’ Sunday, CNN’s Arwa Damon discussed the dangers of reporting from Syria. Joined by CBS News Foreign Correspondent Clarissa Ward, Damon told host Howard Kurtz that reporting from Syria is “absolutely” a risk worth taking.

“I don’t think any of us really believes that we’re invincible. We are very hyper-sensitive to the risks we’re exposing ourselves to, but at the end of the day – to truly be able to tell these stories – you have to put yourself in the same situation as those civilians whose plight you are covering,” said Damon.  “There is no way to do justice to what people are going through unless you yourself are there as well.”

When asked if the deaths of journalists like Marie Colvin would stop news organizations from sending reporters into Syria, Damon said: “I think a lot of people will pause and think about it again before actually going in, but I do not think that is going to stop us from continuing to try to figure out different ways of getting into the country. Bashar al-Assad’s tactics are not going to stop us from reporting that story.”

Full transcript of Sunday’s ‘Reliable Sources’ found here.