In Cairo

by Andrew Burton

Gag on protestor in Cairo's Tahrir Square says, "Please leave."

On Feb. 1, 24-year-old freelance photographer Andrew Burton flew himself to Cairo to cover the Egyptian revolution in words and photographs.

“I find photojournalism to be deeply satisfying work and believe it benefits people in numerous ways: People in front of the camera are given a voice to the world — a voice they don’t normally have.”

When the Egyptian Revolution started on Jan. 25, I watched closely – the Tunisian protests had started and stopped fairly quickly, and I didn’t want to fly over only to have the events end while I was en route. However, by day five of the protesting in Cairo, things seemed to be in full swing, and I started emailing every editor I could think of, asking if they needed anyone working over there.

In one conversation I had with an editor the person made it clear: While my work was good, I had no serious international news experience, and I hadn’t proven I could operate in a conflict zone. I had heard similar stories from some of my favorite photojournalists over the years — that they had self-funded their first few trips until they had proven themselves. Immediately after that conversation, I purchased my ticket and sent out another round of emails to editors saying I would be flying out the next day.

Once on the ground in Cairo, I worked alongside a few friends and tried to focus on giving voice to the people of the Egyptian Revolution. We walked the streets and spent a lot of time talking to people and photographing events both big and little. Some events were major, like the rioting and protests that broke out in Tahrir Square. Others were smaller, like how the entrance to the Cairo subway station had been turned into a trash dump because people who were camping out in the square needed to put their trash somewhere. And while international newspapers and TV stations often only show the most graphic, violent or enticing shots, I know both my colleagues and myself made and transmitted many more photos than were shown.

It’s a criticism people often have of the news — to only show the most sensational images. And I have to say, I agree. Unfortunately, newspapers only have so much print space and broadcasters so much time, though the Internet has become a wonderful platform to view larger groups of images. Numerous world-class news organizations now run photo-specific blogs, showing a wider variety of images.

Each day on the ground in Cairo was different — for two days there were coordinated attacks on journalists. I and many friends and colleagues were beaten badly and had camera gear smashed and stolen. Other days involved medieval-style fighting between people for and against Hosni Mubarak — weapons involved rocks, slingshots and catapults; protection included hard hats, homemade shields and barricades of scrap metal.

By the time Mubarak stepped down, the square had begun to feel like a state fair — a local economy emerged of people selling blankets, water, roasted sweet potatoes, cigarettes and Coca-Cola. Families were bringing their children, couples went on dates, and as I photographed one newborn, her parents beamed shiny smiles at my camera, and the mother said in perfect English, “This is a revolution, baby.” To work in that environment, I quickly learned that you must adapt each day, trust your gut, have eyes in the back of your head, smile at people often and rely on talking to people.

Personally, I find photojournalism to be deeply satisfying work and believe it benefits people in numerous ways: People in front of the camera are given a voice to the world, a voice they don’t normally have. For viewers around the globe, it teaches them about world events that they would otherwise not be exposed to, and it should make them question their beliefs and think critically about whether or not they agree with the events going on and what action should be taken.

Finally, the work satisfies me personally because it allows me to return to those original questions I started to ask myself back in college about governments, economics, social movements and the human condition. When I work in a mob, for instance, I ask myself, “Why are these people screaming at their government? What has occurred that would spawn such passion? Why is the government reacting the way they are? What should be done to calm them?” Hopefully, people who see my photos ask themselves the same thing.

While in Cairo I was lucky enough to end up getting hired by a wire service, but I didn’t know until I was on the ground in Egypt. I was able to make the money back that I spent. I think, in total, I maybe made $300 on the trip (for a week of work). This is, by no means, a profession to get rich from. I know I am one of many in my generation eager to work as a journalist and tell good stories. However, I can say that I feel a deep conviction for my work and find great satisfaction in knowing that in my own small way, I am acting as a mirror for society, even if I make no real money.

I received criticism for flying myself to Cairo. I was called a “parachute journalist” — a reporter or photographer who travels from hot spot to hot spot. I have found that people who call others parachute journalists are often those sitting at home, watching the events. Those people would not even be able to see or understand those events or grasp the magnitude of those situations without those journalists on the ground.

In many places, like Egypt, the journalism industry is so small that the foreign press is the only way of telling those stories in a truthful, thoughtful way. Furthermore, the journalism industry has largely cannibalized itself over the past decade, slashing budgets, jobs and overseas bureaus in print, radio and TV. I will say this: The term parachute journalist carries various negative connotations with it, often suggesting that the journalists exploit those who suffer for their own stories. To this, I can only speak from my own experiences, and I can say that the vast majority of photographers and journalists I know are empathetic people who are passionate about telling stories. We do our work to improve the world, act as a societal conscience, shed light on evil things (like the Egyptian government under Mubarak) and lift up the good in the world. While the journalism world is far from perfect, I believe the world is a better place because of it.

At the end of the day, I am a firm believer that photojournalism acts as a force of good. It opens people’s eyes to social issues and communities they would otherwise not be conscious of, and it makes people explore their own beliefs. I believe that photographers act as historians. Through photography, visual records are created to act as references for future generations. I believe this improves the world — good photographs can remind societies of our past mistakes and encourage us towards better decision-making.

Editor’s note: Andrew sent this from a tiny airport in Japan, where he had flown to cover the next big story.