The Quiet American
My loyal readers are you, Ricochet. You are the people who have shown that you value my work, and the work all my colleagues do here, in the only way that matters in a free market: by paying for it. Had it not been for my mother, who has helped me through the recession, City Journal, and Ricochet--that means you, every one of you who thought, "Should I pay for this?" and made the decision, "Yes, this is worth it," I would have gone under long ago.
My mother is a university professor. It pains, degrades and humiliates me to take her money, because it isn't mine. I didn't earn it. I don't think it is wrong for her to spend the money helping her daughter if that's the way she chooses to do it; I am not taking it from her by force. But it is ultimately as corrupting to me to live on charity as it is to anyone. It deprives me of the pride of saying, "I earned this money by providing something someone else wanted enough to pay for it."
Members of Ricochet may have noticed that I've been quiet lately, and that the tone of my posts has been increasingly bitter. I feel that I owe everyone here--because you have been supporting me in a way that has given me the honest satisfaction of doing an honest job--an honest account of my state of mind, rather than a ruminative silence.
The truth, to the extent that I understand it myself, is that I'm looking at the world with deep cynicism these days. So are many journalists I know. I don't live in Greece, so I cannot say firsthand whether everything in this report is true. But intuitively, I suspect that it is. Please, read it through. And consider this sentence:
The problem of media freedom in Greece is like the issue of the country’s debt – everyone knows about it but nobody talks about it,” a leading Greek columnist told us, asking not to be named. “We’re all guilty, including journalists. Our society is based on a tacit agreement to keep quiet about things. It’s a bit like the mafia vow of silence. It’s in everyone’s interest and in this way we avoid trouble. We’re going to pay dearly for our silence." His view was shared by everyone we talked to.
The problem of media freedom, like many others in Turkey, is one that everyone knows about but no one talks about. Everyone in Turkey is afraid that if he or she speaks too loudly against the government, he'll be locked up. It may not be true. It is probably also true, as apologists for the AKP say, that the situation is better for journalists than it has been in the past, that more journalists were locked up or killed during military governments than have been locked up lately. This misses the point: You only have to lock up a few to silence the others, especially when the memory of those times has scarred a generation.
The United States has no such problem: No one, but no one in the United States is seriously worried that he or she will go to jail for saying something and no one born in the United States can really imagine what it's like to be told, by your parents, "Don't say anything, because I won't be able to protect you if you do. Just stay out of that stuff." Americans worry about social censure, or losing a job, or being called a nut or a fascist for saying something politically controversial. That's almost certainly the worst that will happen to you.
No one in Turkey can really understand how true this is, except the ones who have been to America. I reserve a special contempt for Turks who have been to America and know that this is true and who come back and refuse to take a vigorous stand on behalf of their fellow Turkish citizens' right to speak without fear or intimidation. I am much more forgiving of Turks who think, "This is the way it is everywhere" because they have no way of knowing otherwise.
I reserve a special contempt, too, for the wealthy Turkish elites who know that if it gets too bad, they can always escape to America, leaving behind the people who can't to deal with the consequences of their cowardice.
But I feel contempt, too, for Americans who have this exquisite freedom, but insufficient curiosity about the rest of the world to support a robust, thriving profession of real foreign correspondence. Why have American news bureaus the world around shut down in the past ten years? Why has foreign news coverage dropped off the networks? Why is Al Jazeera, not CNN, the only major network that tries seriously to cover this region? It is not just the recession: Americans are still willing to pay for sports coverage. They are still willing to pay to be entertained by some of the most miserable, degraded pop culture icons produced in the history of human endeavor. America is still by far the wealthiest country in the world. Americans are willing to pay for what they think is "news"--but it happens chiefly to be entertainment, not news.
Blogs and the Internet have not filled the void of foreign news coverage. They can't. In the end, most Americans' view of the world beyond them is shaped by only a few news sources: television, and a handful of influential newspapers.
But.
There is a big "but." I do happen to believe in freedom--economic freedom, as well as freedom of speech. I do believe that if there's no market for something, it is because no one wants it, and much as I think the wonderfulness of Claire Berlinski's prose and insight should be cherished and remunerated, my bank balance says, quite clearly, that the world does not agree.
So, yes, I am sitting here and asking myself: Should I be listening to this market signal? Is the market right? I certainly don't want the government to fund what I do--although I must say, for the kind of news gathering I respect, the government employees who wrote the Wikileaks cables have my full admiration. The world's lack of interest in what they wrote, however, is remarkably telling.
If I can't make a living by writing novels and books about politics and articles about Turkey, should I conclude that I've been told by the facts of life--which I still believe to be conservative--that what I'm doing is not of as much value as I would like to think?
That's what I'm asking myself, and that's why I'm quiet these days. I'm having a deep think about whether my sense that something is wrong here is prompted by something being wrong here, or just by wounded narcissism and a sense of undue entitlement. Often, I've noticed, people who spend their lives complaining bitterly that their talent has not been sufficiently recognized are confused: They're generally just not that talented.
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Comments:
Oct '10
Re: The Quiet American
First, Ricochet is much better off with Claire than it would be without her.
Second, how exactly is accurate and timely reportage of foreign news better than, say, inaccurate and timely reportage of Lindsay Lohan's latest legal problems? Perhaps spelling out the exact steps by which the world/the republic/the individual is improved will provide clues as to What Can Be Done.
Third, when exactly was this golden age of well-staffed news bureaus packed with hardbitten reporters with a nose for The Truth? Because it seems to me that at about the same time Hollywood was making the movies about these guys the Western press was getting the biggest and most important story of the twentieth century - what the Soviet Union was actually like - spectacularly wrong.
Sep '10
Re: The Quiet American
I got a fortune cookie once that said life is a comedy for those who think, a tragedy for those who feel. What about the person who does both? One I know turned to writing and saving cats, comic endeavors with sometimes tragic aspects. ... Just as a viewer I've noticed how vacuous "the news" has become. I was a newspaper reporter/feature writer in the early 1980s in Louisiana and Mississippi. None of my city desk guys would have ever put up with the non-contextual, assertion-filled, emotion-laden stories that get posted as news these days. It's called decadence. The curse of success. Total self-absorption. There's no keeping this decay at bay. Media in general is going through its own industrial revolution, which would be hard enough if the economic situation weren't being transformed at the same time. Your problem is that you're awake and notice these things, while most people are asleep. (Notice our current zombie fixation?) I've come to feel that awareness has to be its own reward, emotionally speaking. Making money is a whole other thing. ... On the other hand, there's always the possibility of love.
Nov '10
Re: The Quiet American
Yes Katievs; however that does not make them any less marginal if you are also trying to make a living from the market niche chosen.
It's a Divine imperative as well given the "broad road" and the "narrow road". On the "narrow road" we have few fellow travelers.
Mar '11
Re: The Quiet American
Claire - I agree with those who recommend you return to the US - it seems to me you should be in academia or a sinister right-wing think tank. Then you could continue blogging at Richochet :)
Alternatively, you could return to the UK, where journalism is still relatively reputable (phone hacking notwithstanding). It's true that the UK news, even though biased to the left, is much more worldwide, and of a much higher standard (this is why Mr Steyn is so good).
I am always struck by how little Americans care about the rest of world, until someone bombs a harbor or flies a plane into a skyscraper. Yes, we do still have the 1st amendment (backed up by the 2nd), but the increasing hysteria on the left, and the unfortunate tendency towards suppression, such as attackwatch, lead us to worry more about the US than Turkey, I'm afraid.
Edited on September 18, 2011 at 6:25pmSep '10
Re: The Quiet American
My criticism of the media isn't so much the lack of staffing but the complete reversal from reporting to critiquing mixed with outright advocacy. I can remember a time when you could read a news story without getting a sense of the reporter's personal point of view.
May '10
Re: The Quiet American
That ol' Rakı Culture.
Oct '10
Re: The Quiet American
Your posting is confusing, but after a few reads, it raises many issues that are and are not interrelated.
1.) Charge more per month for the service. Determine what you need and put some more on top of that and then work the numbers and set a price. People will pay for what they want.
2.) Americans are interested in the World but not a collective group think that Americans were fed by the three Networks and the Newspapers for years. Fox illustrates people want alternative points of view. Fox is an example, not the end point.
3.) The American Media is silent about more and more things. Packs of Blacks that attack Whites in America. It has not been widely reported. When it has, race is not mentioned. The attacks are racially motivated.
4.) Most big cities papers avoid reporting about crime. The agreement has been reached that writing about crime in cities, where it is committed overwhelmingly by Blacks and in some cities Hispanics and Blacks is racist.
5.) Newspapers and Television proselytizing Group Think lose audience and are failing. It is the Columbia School of Journalism disease.
People recognize propaganda posing as facts and ignore it.
Feb '11
Re: The Quiet American
In terms of good wishes and encouragement, your cup runneth over. So let me be pragmatic. I’ve had to do all of this in my own medical practice and it has proven invaluable.
You need two things to navigate this problem rationally. (1) An objective written personal definition of failure for your current endeavor and (2) a plan B.
Figuring out if your current method of making a living is untenable is a very emotional question. Everyone tends to overemphasize his most recent success or failure. So when your pitch to some newspaper is rejected, you’ll be convinced that you have no future as a journalist, and when an article sells, you’ll be convinced that you’re unstoppable. This emotional rollercoaster (which still happens to me, and happens to everyone who isn’t an employee with a steady paycheck) makes it very hard to assess your outlook objectively.
So (1) take some time this week to write down objective criteria that, if they come to pass, you will abort your efforts at being a foreign journalist in Turkey.
(continued)
Feb '11
Re: The Quiet American
(continues)
It might be something like “Failure occurs if by January 2012 I’m not making at least $[insert an actual number here] per month (or quarter) from Ricochet and journalism.” Then (2) plan in as much detail as possible the best alternative to what you’re doing now. Send feelers to all your US contacts to see what jobs you could apply for. Figure out with the other owners of Ricochet if you could bring the site more value in return for more remuneration. Leave no stone unturned. Pretend that it’s six months from now and you’ve already decided that your current gig as journalist from Turkey has failed. Decide specifically what plan B would be. Not “I would apply for a job in the states” but “I would get a job as [specific position] at the American Enterprise Institute”. Write plan B down.
Then, work as hard as you can to make plan A succeed, and periodically refer to your definition of failure.
Finally, (this may seem low-brow and trite) Read Covey’s “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”. For people (like me) with zero business education, it has very practical and wise advice.
Mar '11
Re: The Quiet American
Claire: Thanks for doing what you've done, and I hope someone has the wisdom and resources to help you keep doing it. Would that I could do more.
Aug '10
Re: The Quiet American
Can I guess as to the source of your disquietude ? Turkey is about become a very dangerous place for any American, further danger awaits a young lady, and a different level of danger awaits a Jew. Since you are all three, you should be very cautious.
Now caution is a pain in the ass, like being your own designated driver. You realize your responsibility to yourself and those who cherish you and that responsibility nags like a parent.
So, take down all the mirrors in your apartment, skip the krav maga and get a piece and a bright neon wardrobe as you can't hide in stambool forever.
If you can't get a gun , then you're probably in the wrong place.
Yon does it with tip jars, paypal and the protection of whoever he embeds with. Chris Muir sits on a beach and has annual fundraisers. They access technology. You can't be a print journalist when your competition isn't better writers, but something internationally widespread and of incredible attractiveness to the young.
World's change, City Journal has few peers, and conservative writing is growing. Turkey sits atop the junction of history, few can see that.
Oct '10
Re: The Quiet American
Dear Claire,
Thank you so much for sharing your heart. And thank you, Ricochet, for creating a community unique on the web, where Claire, and all members and contributors are able to experience the freedom to be so vulnerable and open. I am blessed, and honored to be a part of this community.
Claire, your current suffering has purpose. Press through. Pursue your passion. Do what it takes. Pride and cynicism are choices.
May '10
Re: The Quiet American
There are much smarter people posting how you can make this go financially. I'm just a simple little high school history teacher in the midwest...but...
I know that when I want to know the significance of events in the ME, I look for you and Judith...not overpaid one-worlders like Tom "I wish we were more like China" Friedman.
If not you...who? Thanks for the great insights...and keep thinking...and...praying for guidance?
Sep '10
Re: The Quiet American
The lack of support of single white female feminists for our single white female Lady Anatolia is deafening.
Aug '10
Re: The Quiet American
I sometimes forget that the writers and "experts" I admire don't lead perfect, mythical, magical lives. There was a time when I had to ask my parents for help. It wasn't pleasant. I have paid them back... and then some. So, keep that in mind.
There may be writers who are more "successful," "wealthy," and can do what they want. I wonder how many of them have sold out, getting plenty of print because they say what they think others want to hear?
You've been a source for good in my education. I'm not as smart and erudite as some people on Ricochet, but I learn from you all. THAT is well worth the subscription. Your info is particularly useful. Before your articles, I knew little about Turkey. I probably wouldn't have investigated further. You inspired me to learn more about Turkey, the Kurds, Iraq, and continuing problems in the Balkans.
You are a force for good in this world. Your work is important, even if it isn't financially secure. I wish I had your guts... to quit my "secure" job and follow my muse. You are destined for greater things. Godspeed.
Apr '11
Re: The Quiet American
Claire! A personal thank you... When I moved into a new apartment a couple of months ago I gained a few new Turkish neighbors. You can bet that I was rummaging through Ricochet archives to catch up on the news! For me it took a personal connection to develop an interest, but I was extremely grateful for your insight when the time came. I sincerely hope I will be hearing more from you in the future!
Apr '11
Re: The Quiet American
Also, aside from my lovely neighbors, without your posts my main context for Turkish culture/people would be these guys... which would be unfortunate.
Edited on September 19, 2011 at 12:44amMay '10
Re: The Quiet American
Based on my own experience, yes, the market is speaking. And when the market speaks it is wise to listen.
But that is not the end of the subject. There is work and there is life. Some are blessed to have a great deal of overlap in those two spheres. Personally, I have not. But my life has been rich beyond measure by the simple expedient of recognizing that the two have no necessary relationship. If a person has sufficiently broad interests, I was fortunate in this regard, and I suspect from reading your writing that you are similar, even if they are not finding recompense from that which they love, they may yet find profitable work and learn to love it. And life may be pursued with even greater gusto when it is pursued sheerly for the love of life.
What you are experiencing sounds like the death of a dream. That is always hard. But do not mistake it for the end of life.
Best wishes as you move forward......
May '10
Re: The Quiet American
Robert Promm
Yes Katievs; however that does not make them any less marginal if you are also trying to make a living from the market niche chosen.
Yes, true. My point was only that the fact that a given vocation isn't highly valued in the current market doesn't mean that isn't worth doing.
Of course all of us have to live and eat. Sometimes that means we have to give up the thing we really want to do, because it doesn't pay.
And sometimes it means giving up pay, because we feel an urgent interior call to do what we're doing regardless of the cost to ourselves.
There's no universally right answer here. Each one has to discern for herself, according to her own "best lights".
Feb '11
Re: The Quiet American
Ms, Berlinski,
We’re getting information from you about the situation over there that is only thinly covered in most media outlets. It’s true, however, that most here would rather take in demented reality TV shows. But I think you have succeeded, even if it isn’t paying all the bills.
I freely admit that I’m not culturally curious or adaptable enough to do what you’re doing. I lived in the UK for a 6-8 months and recall feeling sort of a withdrawal from US identity, and things going on there didn’t seem all that important from where I stood. And the Middle East can be a cruel / capricious, and sometimes downright dangerous place!
I would side with those that suggest you consider making your way back here, even if just for a while. The DC area, where I am, is still one of the best job markets in the country and certainly at the intersection of media, politics, world affairs, etc. where at least some of your interests and expertise lie.
Could be interesting times coming up, especially if we are able to offload our current Spender-in-Chief.
My two cents,
RB
Edited on September 19, 2011 at 3:51am