The Red and Black

Issue date: 4/3/09 Section: News

MONI BASU

From the simplicity of enjoying a suspenseful novel to the dangers flying overhead in war-torn countries, journalists often have to switch gears fast in their daily assignments.

War reporter Moni Basu of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Teresa Weaver, writer for Habitat for Humanity International and book editor for Atlanta Magazine, shared their contrasting experiences at the annual Women's Voices Lecture Wednesday.

Basu's career has taken her outside the newsroom and beyond the borders of her native India to cover prominent war stories.

"[Going to Iraq] was my chance to see the war from a completely different viewpoint," Basu said.

"My biggest challenge was traveling with Georgia boys."

She described how many of the Georgian soldiers believed her to be an Iraqi or a translator for foreigners due to her Indian heritage, and she often had to tell them she was an American reporter.

During her time on Iraqi soil, she realized she could write about the other side of war.

"No one was really talking about the affect the war would have on soldiers on the battlefield and on the home front."

Weaver, also a veteran of the AJC, was one of the first women to engage in police reporting.

"That's a very closed environment," she said. "Police are reluctant to disclose information."

The two writers met about 20 years ago in the newsroom when Basu was an international reporter and Weaver held the position of book editor. Their love for news and reading allowed them to develop a closer relationship.

"Teresa was a big support for me while I was away [in Iraq]," Basu said as she described how she was an outsider in Iraq and had no to really talk to. "She sent me funny e-mails and stacks of great magazines."

Both women share strong opinions concerning how the economy is affecting the industry's ability to thrive.

"The essential role of the newspaper is to play the watchdog in society," Basu said.

"What happens if Georgia becomes a Web only entity? Who is going to do the down and dirty reporting?" she asked in response to the belief that online news sources derive their stories from printed newspapers.

"Journalism is important, it's crucial, and anyone who gets to do it is privileged," Weaver said.

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