Description
Object description
British correspondent in Africa, Northern Ireland, Middle East, the Gulf, Croatia and Bosnia, 1960-1994
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Redisham, GB, 1938-1958. Aspects of period as private with 1st Bn Suffolk Regt in GB and Cyprus, 1957-1958: attitude towards call up for National Service; posting to Cyprus; duties; attitude towards National Service. Aspects of period at Cambridge University. Recollections of working for British Broadcasting Corporation: joining BBC, 1962; working on programme, 'Look East'; technological constraints; moving to BBC in London as reporter; covering overthrow of Nkrumah in Ghana; being arrested Nigeria when he arrived to cover Biafran war; meeting Colonel Okukwu; nature of bush wars.
REEL 2 Continues; posting to Northern Ireland, 1968; impact of world civil rights movement on Northern Ireland; importance of maintaining neutrality; BBC's censorship of one of his reports; violent events witnessed in Northern Ireland; relations with BBC in Belfast; nature of Protestant marches and attitude Catholics towards them; receiving hate mail; attempting to present all sides of conflict and maintain neutrality; types of people recruited by BBC and ITV; expansion of BBC news gathering in late 1990s; impact of new technology on Media.
REEL 3 Continues: freedom enjoyed by BBC reporters; attitude towards work in Bosnia, 1990s; getting to know warlords, UN and Army commanders in Bosnia; importance of balancing pictures with words; covering Six Day War, 1967; covering Yom Kippur war, 1973; reporting on the Israeli crossing the Suez Canal and surrender; media technology in 1970s; details of Yom Kippur war; lack of protection against gunfire for reporters; Hostile Environment training scheme set up by BBC; reduction of foreign news items by BBC and ITN; further details on covering Yom Kippur war; attempts to maintain neutrality; period in Jerusalem, 1967; frustrating aspects of news reporting; dangers for reporters in Rhodesia.
REEL 4 Continues: maintaining neutrality whilst in Rhodesia; being assigned to Gulf, 1990/1991; attachment to 7th Armoured Division; controls on media; difficulties of filming; surrender of Iraqis; difficulties getting film material back to London; disadvantages of working close to army; relationship with army; wearing army clothing; relationship with Kate Adie; rivalry between reporters; bombing of retreating Iraqis; situation in Kuwait city; lack of casualties on Coalition side; question of Gulf War Syndrome; expectations of strength of Iraqi forces; scud attacks; beginnings of war in Yugoslavia.
REEL 5 Continues: nature of brief war in Slovenia; situation in Croatia; bombing and shelling of Dubrovnik and Vukovar; situation in Vukovar; impact of EU recognition of Slovenia and Croatia; situation in Sarajevo, 4/1992; street fighting in Sarajevo and casualties; reporting on events in Bosnia; decision of UN to send troops; reporting on massacres; visiting Ahmici with Cheshire Regt and Col Bob Stewart after massacre; memories of Col Bob Stewart; report on massacre at Ahmici and on mortar attack on Sarajevo, 1995; censorship of news reports; difficulties in reporting Serb view of events; massacres of Serbs; working relationship with UN; role of UNPROFOR Generals, Michael Rose and Rupert Smith; working relationship with UN; attitude towards General Michael Rose.
REEL 6 Continues: work of Rupert Smith; working relationship with military; impact of his news reports; witnessing ethnic cleansing in Vukovar; attitude towards term 'ethnic cleansing'; attitude towards period in Bosnia; sustaining shrapnel wound, 1992; dangers for journalists; rise in number of female war correspondents; description of 'pool' system for media; question of superstition; attitude towards NATO bombing of Kosovo; supporting former Japanese POWs whilst working as MP; support for Milos Stankovic; speaking out against land mines and bombing of Iraq.