Hugh Pope on Dining with Al-Qaeda
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While in Istanbul, social media guru Thomas Crampton had an impromptu video discussion with Hugh Pope about his new book Dining with al-Qaeda. A touch raw and unedited, it is nonetheless compelling for the home truths Hugh tells about the editing process of the US mainstream media.
In addition to covering the region as a foreign correspondent, for among others The Independent and the Wall St Journal, Pope has written some excellent books about Turkey and the Turkic peoples. Sons of the Conquerors is a must-read.
Pope describes the book as a reflection on his meeting with the Middle Eastern society; how he learned that it is not all about caravans, poetry and desert oases. Instead, it is a region of concrete buildings, violence and shattered societies.
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As a young British journalist, relating these facts to a US audience proved hard, and Pope often experienced editorial decisions that he felt hollowed out the "true" story. Although Pope has nothing bad to say about The Wall Street Journal, his book describes the process of Americanization that shaped his stories.
Many Middle Eastern stories would be hard to understand for Americans, so they needed to fit within the US narrative of the Middle East and include a twist, Pope says.
There is hope now, however, Pope told Crampton (another recovering foreign correspondent). New platforms for open communication, including the Internet, offer ways for more nuanced views to spread.
Pope left journalism after trying to cover the Iraq war, an exercise he found extremely frustrating. Now he works for the International Crisis Group in a job he describes as everything journalism should be: A place where he can write what he wants. He also now feels he can get involved in shaping events.
What about the title of the book? While chasing a story on Al-Qaeda for The Wall Street Journal shortly after the 9/11 attacks, Pope found himself dining with one of the missionaries from the very camp where the suicide bombers had been trained. An Al-Qaeda missionary decided it was best to kill Pope. Pope disagreed. The two argued for about 15 minutes, when the Al-Qaeda missionary finally agreed not to kill him. They went on to have dinner together.
A Social Media compliant journalist, you can find Hugh on Twitter, LinkedIn, his blog and profile at International Crisis Group.
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