July 10, 2001

Visit to Mecca

We walked into the Newseum on Saturday to find the requisite metal detector and security check that all Washington-area buildings seem to have. Passed through and ascended the stairs to begin looking through the War Stories display.

On the way up the stairs to the second floor we happened upon the 2001 Pulitzer winners and the first place photographs of POYi 58. Soaked that in and entered the exhibit.

Just walking through the Newseum I reminded myself just why I got into this business.

I found myself welling up while watching a slide show of photojournalists killed while working. I was somewhat awestruck while looking at news artifacts -- notebooks used to scribble events of historical importance, cameras used to photograph Pulitzer Prize-winning images.

Jump back to yesterday listening to NPR. A story about deliberate attacks on journalists in Israel and the Gaza Strip was broadcast. One of the journalists, a 26-year-old woman photographer who was shot in the leg, was asked if she chose the right profession. After walking through the Newseum, I'll never answer that question again the way it's asked.

From now on, my correction will be, 'I didn't choose this profession...it chose me.

- Rich