When viewing Middle East tensions, such as those facing Iraq, Newsweek Middle East Regional editor said it’s important to consider historical contexts.
‘We are what we have,’ Christopher Dickey, who is also Newsweek’s Paris Bureau chief, said. ‘But people in Iraq don’t have things, they belong. They belong to families that belong to a place that belong to a culture that belongs to a history that belongs to a faith.’
Dickey, a Boston University alumnus ’74, spoke to about his life as a reporter covering terrorism and war in three continents to about 75 faculty and staff in Metcalf Ballroom. His papers are the newest addition to the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center in Mugar Memorial Library.
Throughout his career, Dickey gained specific knowledge on terrorism. He has covered everything from Nicaraguan Contra rebels in the 1980s to the ‘War on Terror,’ according to his biography on Newsweek’s website.
He began writing for the Washington Post, where he traveled to Central America and covered wars. Dickey said he was surprised he was chosen to report in a foreign country because he had little knowledge or experience in specific foreign affairs issues.
He said reporting on the wars in Central America became a whole new lifestyle for him.
‘You see some really horrible things,’ he said. ‘And you get used to seeing some really horrible things.’
After moving to Newsweek, he switched focus from Central America to Middle Eastern affairs, he said.
Terrorism was all around him when he first went overseas in the 1980s, he said.
‘You think terrorism now is a big deal?’ he asked. ‘Terrorism was like a daily affair back then. It was great for my career.’
For example, he said, one of his first overseas stories covered Sudan.
‘Fortunately, there was a coup almost immediately after I arrived,’ he said jokingly.
Dickey said none of his experiences were what he expected. He was continuously shocked by the translation of culture, and said American occupation in Iraq can only lead to problems because of cultural differences.
He said because of this, people in Iraq strongly dislike foreigners trying to occupy their home and they will fight.’
Though he originally received a graduate degree in film production from BU, Dickey said he quickly realized he probably would not make money in that field, so he switched to journalism.
Dickey said his father James Dickey, a poet and novelist, always said he had an obsession with trying to tell the truth.
Dickey said his graduate degree in film did not go to waste, as it helped him learn how to organize and assimilate information.
He said he was happy to be back at BU and thinks the university’s archival efforts are important-especially because past writers lacked today’s technology.
‘I’m glad that BU has preserved not only my archives, but those of other writers,’ he said.
Dickey said the best thing for this generation of journalists is to keep writing.
‘Write things that are original and get them on the web,’ he said. ‘Keep writing and you’ll get people to start noticing.’
Audience members said Dickey’s perspective on issues was interesting.
College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Julien Urraca, whose parents worked with Dickey, said he was impressed with the lecture.
‘It’s hard to make a talk about yourself interesting for two hours,’ he said. ‘. . . but I liked how he made a speech about himself interesting to us.’
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