6 THE VOICE | THURSDAY, NOV. 14,2019 | EDITOR MISSY JOHNSON Viewpoints Being a reporter means rising up eporting on the frontline is R: dangerous as ever, but in an unstable world, journalists have a responsibility to fulfill. Last week, a celebration was held honouring Michelle Lang, the first Canadian embedded journalist to be killed in the War in Afghanistan, on Dec. 30, 2009. Lang had been in the country for roughly two weeks, when the armoured vehicle that she was travelling in - with four Canadian soldiers — was struck by a bomb. It brings me to question the lack of safety journalists experience, report- ing on war and conflict, in a world that is growing increasingly shaky. Taking photos or reporting on such events first-hand isn’t easy. This kind of jour- nalism involves being in situ- ations which can turn deadly, before one can react. Over 154 documented journalists have been killed in Syrian's civil war, according to the Syrian Journalist Association. The War in Afghanistan has seen over 27 journalists killed. Although there have been count- less examples where journalists have been able to make an important difference with their story, I can't help but wonder if this comes at too OPINION SOUBHIK CHAKRABARTI “For those of us who want to be onthe battleground, the stakes are risky. Yet, as journalists, we need to rise up to it.” high of a cost. For example take the photo Kenneth Jarecke took of an Iraqi soldier burnt alive trying to come out from a tank. It showed readers how gruesome the Iraqi war really was. War reporter John Sack helped redefine war journalism using liter- ature techniques to put the point across when he knew the original version wasn't portraying things right. Journalist Martha Gellhorn, on the other hand, shifted war jour- nalism by focusing on the people instead of the armoury, military and government. For those of us who want to be on the battleground, the stakes are risky. Yet, as journalists, we need to rise up to it. bac Cary att of d Ur i ANA Shins zl Museums in Vancouver can be costly at roughly $20 per entry; for a family of four this adds up. Many cities in other parts of the world offer entry to museums for free, by donation or discounted on certain days of the month. JoF AYRES /LLUSTRATION Free museum useums have the abil- ity to bring commu- nities together. They teach, inspire and explore meaningful societal events. Museums should be a right to every- one. When I was young my dad often took me to the museum in my home- town, Port Alberni. It was something fun and interesting we were able to do together. One afternoon, we went to the museum and they had a small exhibit examining the tsunami that had hit our town in 1964. One of the pictures was of my dad’s father, who had passed away when my dad was young. We went to the front desk to tell them we knew someone in one of the pictures. They provided us with a copy of it for free and it hangs in our living room to this day. Museums are important for members of a society to under- stand their own history. Know- ing one’s own OPINION history is benefi- MISSY cial for a better JOHNSON understanding of one’s culture, language and current social issues. The average cost of entry to muse- ums in Vancouver is roughly 20 dollars. Some have a discount for students which would save them a bit. The Vancouver Art Gallery charges $24 for an adult entry, with students who are able to show valid ID only having to pay $18. On “Museums have the ability to bring communities together. , free culture For instance, the Musée du Louvre, which offers free admission to youths under the age of 18, individuals with disabilities and art teachers. Entry is free for anyone under the age of 26 every Friday after 6 p.m. and free for anyone on the first Satur- Tuesdays, from They teach, inspire and day of each 5 to 9 p.m. * month after 6 entry is by | @Xplore meaningful un donation. society events " The first In other L ° museums were cities, there are museums you can visit for free, such as in Paris and London. Some are free on certain occasions. originally only meant for the wealthy, but an understanding of one’s society, history and culture shouldn't have a cost. The Voice is pub- lished by Langara College’s joumalism department. Editorial opinions are those of the staff and are independent of views of the student government and administration. We welcome letters to the editor. They may be edited for brevity. Your letter must in- clude your name and phone number. HOW TO DROP-IN REACH US Room A226 Langara College PHONE 604-323-5396 SNAIL MAIL E-MAIL The Voice thevoice@langara. 100 West 49th Ave. be.ca Vancouver, B.C. WEBSITE V5Y 226 langaravoice.ca INSTRUCTOR Erica Bulman MANAGING PAGE 4&5 EDITOR Liam Hil-Allan Missy Johnson PAGE 6 Missy Johnson PAGE EDITORS PAGE7 PAGE 1 Mathilda de Villiers Austin Everett PAGE 8 PAGE 2 Joe Ayres Nathan Gan PAGE 3 MANAGING WEB Christina Dommer EDITOR Agazy Mengesha WEB EDITORS REPORTERS Max Fossey Anita Zhu Tierney Grattan Henri Ngimbis Adam Levi Kristen Holliday Mandy Moon Gina Rogers Joshua Rey Lauren Gargiulo Lina Chung SOCIAL MEDIA Palak Klaire EDITOR Ray Chopping Agazy Mengesha Soubhik Chakrabarti Steven Chang WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU CONTACT Have a different point of view? Write us. US Online at langaravoice.ca Journalism instructor Erica Bulman oversees The Voice. Twitter Email: ebulman @langaraVoice @langara.ca