CAIRO: It was July 2006. Lebanon. War had arrived in the country as Israel pounded targets across the country. I was reporting from the south, new to the whole war correspondence idea. It was early morning in Tyre in South Lebanon. A group of photographers were heading out to take photos of the recent bombing campaign by Israel on largely civilian populations. As we arrived at the village, of which I forget now, reporters were doing the rounds. One man was meandering through the witnesses, families who had lost loved ones in the latest attack. He was calm, composed and was jotting notes down throughout. I later learned that that man was Anthony Shadid, arguably the best reporter in the region, who was unabashed about his care for detail, the average person and their struggle. While I only ever met the man in passing in Lebanon, his work was among the few foreign correspondents I read on a regular basis. The writing was impeccable and his attention to the story, without attempting to formulate or analyze in a drab, trying manner, was something we all, as media professionals should aspire to. As the news of Shadid's death, from a reported asthma attack in Syria while covering the ongoing genocide in that country, it puts life back in perspective. And our job as reporters. Shadid was not afraid. Colleagues over the years have almost always pointed to his work as an example to be followed. Two Pulitzer Prizes are a testament to his quality as a reporter. But it was the stories of his person that always drew my attention in when he was brought up in conversations. Colleagues rarely, if ever, had anything negative to say about Shadid. Rare in the media world. I always received inspiration from his work, especially his reporting on Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. Few reporters could claim to be as good, as detailed, and as understanding of his sources that Shadid was. It is a loss for the journalism world, for the Arab world and for all who ever came in contact with the man through his writing, through his being and through his way of understanding the complicated realities that will, unfortunately, persist beyond his passing. ** For a detailed obituary from The New York Times on Anthony Shadid's life, go here BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/F8NKh Tags: Anthony Shadid, featured, Journalist, Tribute Section: Editor's choice, Latest News, Media, Op-ed
