Gonzo Journalism in Haiti

Daniel Warner January 28, 2010

Gonzo journalism began with Hunter Thompson and his ability to report on events while being part of them, if not creating them. By definition, it tends to favor style over accuracy and often uses personal experiences and emotions to provide context for the topic or event being covered.

The news coverage of the earthquake in Haiti has many of these elements. While the coverage has focused world attention on the catastrophe and hopefully will lead to massive assistance and eventually reconstruction, there are sequences wherein the reporters themselves have become the story. For example, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the CNN medical correspondent who is also a neurosurgeon, found himself operating on a patient while in Haiti, involving his news team in helping victims while at the same time reporting his news team’s helping the victims. Reporters interviewing reporters is the zenith of Gonzo journalism.

If this seems too harsh, I would like to follow through with several questions: Given the devastation of the infrastructure in Haiti, where are all the journalists staying? Given the lack of water and food in Haiti, what are the journalists eating? Given problems with landing at the airport, how was the journalists’ material delivered?

The arrival of the journalists in Haiti reminds me of the pictures of the American soldiers landing in Kuwait. From the time of the landing to the American flags being waved by children on shore, all was prepared and packaged. In Haiti, are we witnessing not only Gonzo journalism, but information warriors working not for a government – embedded as it were – but working for their version of humanity?

Covering catastrophes is certainly big business for the news media. But decisions about where to go and whom to interview may be decided by the emotions of the reporters. I question Jonathan Mann of CNN standing vigil while workers try to remove someone from under rubble while thousands are roaming the streets hungry. The newscasters are following their own emotional script.

There is no question that the reporters in Haiti have become part of the story. Gonzo journalism has found a new forum.

Daniel Warner is Director of the Centre for International Governance at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies of the University of Geneva. He is a former journalist with the Associated Press.