David Gilkey (Photo: Facebook)
David Gilkey was an NPR journalist who took photos of war, famine, and disease to spread awareness of human conditions around the world. Because of the footage and pictures that Gilkey published, the world became a more connected place. His photos and videos allowed people to witness and feel the despair, sorrow, and also hope in places that few would dare to venture on their own.
Gilkey was at one point tasked with covering the development of ebola in Africa for a piece titled “They Are The Body Collectors: A Perilous Job In The Time Of Ebola.” During this time Gilkey had to “get up-close and personal” with the ebola pandemic, and often had to stand only a few feet away from deceased ebola victims in order to get full coverage. Gilkey did not take the threat of Ebola lightly, as his co-worker Nurith Aizenman recalls “ As soon as we hit the ground we learned the true nature of David’s celebrated bravery: It’s not that he was fearless but rather he was absolutely committed to putting his fears aside to do his journalism.”
Gilkey often put his personal safety on the line in order to reveal to the world what was happening in a story. In 2009, Gilkey reported a story from the Gaza strip. In this story, Gilkey found a 16 year old boy who had been hiding from Israeli soldiers among the bodies of his relatives for days. The picture taken from this report shows the boy’s face, undoubtedly displaying what the loss of innocence looks like.
Though in darkness, Gilkey also often found the light in humanity. Gilkey worked well with children, as they often found Gilkey as a source of curiosity. Kainaz Amaria, another co-worker of Gilkey, said “Awestruck at the sight of him, children would stand at attention and just stare. Then they’d start to smile and inch near to touch him — and his camera would catch them.”
Last Sunday, the 5th, Gilkey and his translator were killed in Afghanistan during a firefight with the Taliban. We would like to honor David Gilkey, for his bravery, compassion for journalism, and for making the world a better place.
To support David and his pursuits, visit the Central Oregon Veterans Outreach, an organization committed to supporting Veterans and their families.
