Godspeed, John Pilger
The journalistic community has lost a principled and courageous truthteller, the world has lost a giant of a human being
I wish I knew of John Pilger and his seminal work a lot earlier. But to my shame, I started paying attention to what was going on in the world embarrassingly late in life (in my early 30s).
The legendary Australian journalist and filmmaker has sadly passed away aged 84. Although I am yet to catch up on Pilger’s enormous and consequential legacy, and the depth of his investigative work, watching one of his documentaries — The war you don’t see couple of years ago made me realise what principled, real and honest journalism looks like. I came across his name when I started paying closer attention to the case of Julian Assange — John Pilger was one of Assange’s most dedicated advocates, and I’ve listened to his eloquent speeches at rallies and marches in support of the WikiLeaks founder many times. It’s enough to read just one of Pilger’s articles, hear just one of his speeches, watch just one of his films to appreciate the tremendous loss of his passing.
I hope his courage and integrity, fight for justice, sharp mind, and truthful reporting inspire those who embark upon a journalistic career. And everybody else. He was a rare phenomenon in contemporary journalism and in the public sphere. One of a handful who weren’t afraid to stand up for what they believed in, hold those in power to account, defend the victims of injustice and give them a voice.
Journalism has been in a serious crisis for decades and the public’s trust in the media has been eroding slowly but surely. However, journalists like John Pilger have given me hope that real journalism does still exist and isn’t lost forever. I know his determination and belief in the virtues of humanity will continue to give a bright example not only to his fellow journalists but also to the rest of us to whose rights he had dedicated his life.
Godspeed, dear John, and may you rest in power.
Great... A marvelous man
I find it very hard to take your uncritical hagiography seriously. Pilger started out as a serious journalist but quickly descended into the "its all the West's fault" formula. How do you explain his grovelling and apologetics to regimes and dictators like Putin? He was ultimately an activist not a journalist (he was entitled to be of course but not to use the false label). Journalism's crisis is partly caused by people like Pilger. Remember the boy crying wolf - no one will believe you later when you are exposing a true issue once you are perceived as partisan.
I write from Australia and know his background well - he typifies the "white guilt ridden" bourgeois leftist. They are always victims, we are always at fault. I am really surprised you are so uncritical given you are Eastern European.