Should I stay or should I go?

[OTD]

You should go. You will get great stories, you'll become a better reporter and the fact that you went won't look bad on your permanent record, Chip.

 

[Claws for Concern]

I have a friend in the biz who has gone to Kosovo, to India (after the tsunami) and to New Orleans after Katrina. He's a solid reporter who likes to cover the tough story. I respect him for doing this kind of thing.

I vote yes for you. It will change your life and what better way to know exactly what's going on than to experience it firsthand.

 

[pallister]

I change jobs every 18 months or so because I'm always chasing a new challenge. I would do this in a second. But I have no wife or kids, so that makes my decision different from many.

 

[KJIM]

I vote yes. Guy at this office was disgruntled at the local office and put in to go. Our bosses didn't want to let him (since that mean he'd be allowed to report and use his brain), but the head office OK'd it.

He came back safe and within a month had gotten a promotion out of here. He's been back or Iraq twice.

 

[three_bags_full]

Yes. Find out what it's like for yourself, not on CNN, Fox or SportsJournalists.com.

Then, tell us.

 

[Ace]

If you got the offer and can do it, go.

 

[e4]

Do it.

 

[CaliforniaRed]

If you have to ask yourself if you should go or not, I vote no.

If you wanted to go, you'd never have to ask yourself in the first place.

 

[trifectarich]

Part of me has always wanted to cover a war. Part of me wants nothing to do with it.

I second the view of CaliforniaRed: If you're asking yourself if you really want to go, you probably have already made up your mind. Best of luck in whatever you decide.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

Disagree with the last two. There's tons of legitimacy in asking yourself this question. This isn't something you just go "whoopy do of course I'll go."

That said, I don't think you'd be crazy at all for going if this sort of adventure excites you. Professionally it's an amazing opportunity fraught with all sorts of risks. I'd probably pull the trigger if given a chance. But there is a ton to consider with it all.

No shame in not going either. You've seen whats happened to some people over there. In your shoes, like I said I think I'd go. But this is one of the few assignments ever out there where our opinion shouldn't matter much.

 

[Idaho]

If offered, I would go.

And my wife would be surpremely pissed off at me.

Then I'd rethink it, realize I'd have nothing significant to gain by going (other than some extra money from work, which would be spent on the extra childcare) and I'd probably realize my wife would be right and I'd change my mind.

 

[Jones]

This came up a few months ago for me. Talked fairly seriously about going over to do a specific story, in and out in probably two or three weeks. Would have spent most of my working time in the Green Zone, but would have slept (or, more probably, "slept") outside of it. Also would have had to have done the sprint from the airport to relative safety, which apparently is not a very nice introduction to Iraq.

I'm married, and at that point, our son was three months old. I talked to my wife and my parents about it, and really thought hard about it. And I decided that I would go -- for the story and what it might do for my career, and also for the life experience.

In the end, the magazine decided against it.

To be honest, I think I would have been scared every minute I was there. And if I had ended up wounded, I would have regretted going for the rest of my life; had I been killed, my wife would have for the rest of hers (although she'd be rich from insurance, so maybe not that much).

Still, I think about it now, and I kind of regret that it didn't happen.