Kevin Green is a video journalist with CTV Calgary. Outside of his work at CTV, Green has also travelled overseas to work on documentary pieces in war-torn countries. He sat down with us to outline some of his most memorable and intense experiences.
What's going through your mind then is that if this goes wrong I might not even come out of this room.
Green's work overseas included following a man back to Sudan to find his mother after he had fled during the second Sudanese civil war. The war spanned from 1983 to 2005, and the documentary mentioned above: The Long Journey Home of James Nguen follows Nguen's journey back to his roots after leaving as a refugee at seven years old. The areas they visited were isolated, remote, and marred in conflict. In his first visit, the area in which they were filming required clearance from a local warlord from the Sudanese Peoples' Liberation Army. The location was declared SPLA property.
"What's going through your mind then is that if this goes wrong, I might not even come out of this room, because those Sudanese warlords at the time in the Sundanese Peoples' Liberation Army, the SPLA, they would have no hesitation about killing you or anyone else."
The Dart Center's article on covering trauma states that exposure to traumatic events while covering a story can lead to post-traumatic stress for journalists. Events such as wars, car crashes, mass casualties and murders can trigger shock, and each has been a part of Kevin Green's journey as a reporter.
The Dart Center's article on covering trauma states that exposure to traumatic events while covering a story can lead to post-traumatic stress for journalists. Events such as wars, car crashes, mass casualties and murders can trigger shock, and each has been a part of Kevin Green's journey as a reporter.
"If you don't take that to heart, you're not a human being, and if you're not a human being, you're not a very good reporter. You need to be somehow affected by what's going on, but you need to be able to put it out of your mind enough or for enough time to be able to objectively write the story."
Green says that while he hasn't noticed a conscious change, his wife once found him trying to crawl out of a window in his sleep. He added that using the viewfinder of his camera could help him separate himself from the scene and lessen his mental involvement.
Green says that while he hasn't noticed a conscious change, his wife once found him trying to crawl out of a window in his sleep. He added that using the viewfinder of his camera could help him separate himself from the scene and lessen his mental involvement.
"It used to be a lot harder. I guess I subconsciously figured out ways to do it."
Despite some of the heavy stories he's covered in conflicted countries, Green says the one story he hasn't been able to shake was the Edmonton tornado in 1987. After seeing dead bodies lined up on the side of the road and children crying for their deceased parents, Green says some images in his mind from that tragic disaster will live with him forever.
Despite some of the heavy stories he's covered in conflicted countries, Green says the one story he hasn't been able to shake was the Edmonton tornado in 1987. After seeing dead bodies lined up on the side of the road and children crying for their deceased parents, Green says some images in his mind from that tragic disaster will live with him forever.
After nearly 40 years in the industry, Green's work has taken him to the poorest regions of Africa, the refugee crisis in Burma, and the Balkan conflict of the '90s. Green's career has been one of adventure and excitement, and his story as a reporter continues today.
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