One
Shot in Ramallah
By
Michael Penn MA'97
Is that what appeals to you about foreign reporting?
There's a sharp difference between reporting in Washington
and abroad. Washington journalism is much more geared
toward officialdom — the administration and the
rest of the government and how policy is decided among
those constituencies. Foreign reporting is far more
subjective. You see and you interpret, and I find
that far more enriching as a journalist. I think it's
important, as well, to convey how the rest of the
world thinks and responds to the United States. Journalists
aren't always that successful in doing so, but it's
a worthwhile objective.
You mentioned studying Arabic at UW-Madison. Has
that been an important factor in your success as a
reporter?
I've found language crucial in reporting in the region.
There's an immediacy to interviews, and there's a
context from hearing and understanding that adds texture
to your stories. More importantly, language offers
a window on the culture and society that would be
difficult to get otherwise. Could you report well
without Arabic? Probably. But the trust and the insight
that come with speaking the language make the job
easier and, often, richer.
How
do you think your time at UW-Madison helped shape
your career?
When I was a student at Madison, it was a city with
freewheeling journalism. There were the two student
newspapers, the two city dailies, and a first-rate
weekly. There was so much opportunity, especially
for a nineteen-year-old with little or no experience.
Madison itself — both the university and the
city — had a well-deserved reputation for critical
thinking, and I've tried to carry that into my work.
Skepticism, particularly in Washington, can be lacking,
and I've appreciated that contrarian atmosphere that
Madison offered.
Obviously,
the journalism school was impressed with you long
before the events in Ramallah and would have been
happy to mail you its award. Why, after all that you
had been through, did you decide to come to Madison
to receive it in person?
It's hard for me to overstate how important Madison
was to the path I took for journalism. I learned how
to be a reporter there, I grew up in Vilas Hall, and
I came away with the skills, tools, and background
that made journalism enjoyable. Plus, I still think
my years at the Daily Cardinal were my best
in journalism. It would be hard to turn down an invitation
to show at least a little gratitude for all that.
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