Paul Salopek, a foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune, was arrested several weeks ago in Sudan and has now been charged with "espionage" and "writing false news."  If things proceed as scheduled he'll be put on trial next month in Darfur, where he, his driver and his interpreter were arrested.

Salopek was on leave from the Tribune working on a story for National Geographic.  Both publications are working to get him released and to make it clear to the Sudanese government that the guy isn't a spy.  I don't think there's much reason for me to go beyond what Salopek's employers have already stated clearly (those links are behind the Trib's registration wall, but registering is easy and free).  Railing against the Sudanese government is redundant.  If you have a passing understanding of Sudan, and know that Salopek and his colleagues were arrested by pro-government forces in Darfur, I think the situation speaks for itself.

Salopek has two Pulitzer Prizes (neither of which is the much-maligned "Pulitzer Prize for Espionage").  In 1998 he won for his coverage of the Human Genome Project; in 2001 he won for his coverage of Africa.  Last month the Trib published his fantastic series on America's consumption of oil, where that oil comes from, and the effects of our oil addiction on the US and the rest of the world.  If that sounds like an invitation to a dry political screed, read the pieces.  He went all over the world—from a gas station in suburban Chicago to a militia safe-house in Nigeria to southern Iraq—and his stories are full of telling details, sympathy and insight.  They exemplify what I admire most about great journalism and what I aspire to in my reporting—telling complicated stories clearly, fairly and with compassion.  He's probably going to win another Pulitzer, and shouldn't be languishing in a Sudanese prison when he does.

Journalism can be a tricky business.  It gets trickier when reporters are subjected to arrest or persecution for doing their jobs.  Asking folks to write their Congressman seems like a weak response, but I'll do it anyway.  In particular, if you're an Illinois resident get in touch with Sen. Durbin or Sen. Obama and ask what they're doing to help get Salopek and his colleagues released (apparently Obama is working on this while he's traveling in Africa).  The Sudanese government has an impressive track record of ignoring the mild-mannered scorn of the international community; it's important to implore the US government to apply some real pressure in this case.

It's important to focus attention, not just on Salopek, but on his driver and translator.  They're both from Chad, which has a rocky relationship with Sudan.  Its government may be unable to help its citizens when they're in peril abroad.  Drivers and translators aren't employees who do menial tasks while reporters do the important work.  They're partners in doing good journalism—any journalism—and an absolutely vital part of working in difficult and remote parts of the world.  They're brave, they're dedicated and in places like Iraq they are sometimes killed on the job.  Tossing them in prison is every bit as much an attack on journalism as imprisoning full-time reporters.

I don't have any in-depth knowledge of the Sudanese government's track record in situations like this or of the specifics of this case.  As far as I know Salopek and his colleagues will be released tomorrow; they could also go on trial as scheduled and run the risk of spending years in jail.  I'm hoping for the former but under the circumstances it's important to work against the latter.

 

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