Robert Fisk, one of UK's globe-trotting journalists in the tradition of James Cameron and John Pilger (Pilger worked for British papers although he's an Australian), passed away recently.
Fisk was a fearless reporter who distinguished himself with his coverage of the Middle East, mostly from Beirut which had become a second home to him. Western coverage of the Middle East is hopelessly biased in favour of Israel and is often no more than an arm of Western propaganda. It routinely portrays the struggles of the people there as acts of terrorism.
Fisk was different. He was unbiased in his reporting and he showed a lot of empathy for the suffering he saw and chronicled. Not many Western papers other than the Independent would have been willing to host him. There aren't many like Fisk in journalism today. Robert Parry, the American investigative reporter, is no more. Seymour Hersh, another American great, is still around. In an era of fake news, Fisk will be greatly missed.
Here's an obit in the Independent. Patrick Cockburn, another veteran journalist, pays a tribute here.
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