Journalist from Iraq War to Lecture at Eastern

Written by Dwight Bachman

Willimantic, CT --  Journalist Dahr Jamail will speak on "Reinventing Journalism:  Thoughts of an Unembedded Reporter in Iraq," at 1 p.m. on Sept. 21. in the Betty R. Tipton Room of Eastern Connecticut State University's Student Center. Jamail's lecture is in honor of the United Nations International Day of Peace.  A reception and book signing will follow his presentation.

In advance of Jamail's talk, a screening of one of his films, "Eyewitness in Iraq:  An Unembedded Report," will be held from 7:30 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 16 in Room 110 of Webb Hall.

Dissatisfied with mainstream media coverage of the war in Iraq, Jamail decided to leave his job as a rescue ranger on Mount Denali in Alaska and headed to Iraq. He was determined to engage directly with Iraqis outside of the Green Zone to provide a different type of coverage that highlighted the human impact of this conflict. 

Since 2003, Jamail has provided coverage of the Iraqi people and of U.S. soldiers, bearing witness to the effects of the war on the lives of ordinary Iraqis, their security and well-being, and their access to important resources like clean water and health care. Jamail also lectures on the impact of the conflict upon U.S. soldiers and others, reporting on the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder and acts of resistance by some soldiers. 

He reports to news organizations such as Inter Press Service and Le Monde Diplomatique; has appeared in and on numerous news media outlets, such as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and National Public Radio ( NPR); and been a frequent guest on college radio stations across America, including UCONN's FM.91.7 WHUS. 

Jamail has earned numerous awards for his independent work, including the prestigious 2008 Martha Gellhorn Award for Journalism, The Lannan Foundation Writing Residency Fellowship, the James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism, the Joe A. Callaway Award for Civic Courage and Project Censored awards.

For more information about Jamail's lecture, contact Political Science Professor Helma de Vries at devriesh@easternct.edu or call (860) 465-5091.

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                                    Dahr Jamail