Fixers
An Afghan fixer in Sweden
Naqeebulla Sherzad is an Afghan fixer. He worked with Ajmal Naskhbandi, the fixer beheaded by the Taliban in 2007, and who inspired the formation of the Frontline Fixer’s Fund – 100% of funds raised are given to the families of fixers killed or injured while working with international media – After being told his name […]
Broke without fixers
Jonathan Miller writes about the "secret weapon" of television news on the Channel 4 World News blog. He’s talking about the fixers he’s worked with in the DRC, Zimbabwe, Gaza, Pakistan, Serbia and Sudan. "When fixers deliver," Miller says, "We make good telly," Fixers are all-too-often the unsung heros of our business. They work long […]
The Fixers Fund
If you’ve nipped into the Frontline Club recently you might have noticed the Fixers Fund gift donation envelopes, on the stairs, at the bar and in the forum. We’ve also put together a short video explaining more about the fund and how it was started following the murder of Ajmal Naqshbandi. Afghan journalist and fixer […]
The Gaza fixer
Raed Atharmneh works as a fixer in the Gaza strip. Al Jazeera put together a documentary about him in 2007. It’s a timely reminder of the work of fixers and journalists in Gaza at a time when many media outlets can’t even access Gaza to report on the war. You can watch part one above […]
Fixers are vital
Marcel Berlins, former lawyer now journalist and columnist, attended screening of The Fixer at the Frontline Club recently and writes about the importance of their “unsung” role in foreign news reporting. You only have to look at the fate of the fixers in Somalia working with Amanda Lindhout and Nigel Brennan to see the danger […]
Call to free Afghan fixers
Reporters without borders have called upon the Afghan government to free the Afghan fixer and driver who were working with Mellissa Fung when she was kidnapped outside Kabul. The brothers, Shokoor Feroz and Qaem Feroz, were picked up hours after Fung was kidnapped and remain in the custody of the Afghan intelligence agency, the National […]
The Fixer gets Tribeca funding
The Fixer, a film by Ian Olds, is one of seven documentary film projects to recieve funding from the Tribeca Film Institute‘s inaugural Gucci Tribeca Documentary Finishing Fund. Each project will receive $80,000 to help towards post production costs. The Fixer focuses on the relationship between Afghan translator, Ajmal Naqshbandi, and the war reporter Christian […]
A fixer goes to America
Jeremy Gerard provides an update on the fixer known only as Ahmed Ali. A few months ago things weren’t looking good for Ali and his new life in America. However, things are picking up for the man who helped Oliver Poole work as a journalist in Iraq and who features in his Red Zone book, […]
Portrait of a fixer – Daoud Hari in Darfur
Daoud Hari, author of The Translator, is profiled in the Daily Telegraph during a book promotion trip to New York. After his village in Darfur was attacked by Janjaweed militia he took to helping NGOs and foreign journalists get the story out. He became a fixer. ‘The journalists were very different from the NGO people,’ […]
James Nachtwey thanks fixers
[video:youtube:FVArFUxyNFM] The Frontline Club magazine this month mentions the inaugural Frontline Club journalism awards. These awards will raise money for the Frontline Club Fixers Fund. James Nachtwey recently praised the fixers who help him work as a war photographer in his President’s award acceptance speech at the Overseas Press Club in New York, As journalists […]
Ahmed Ali’s story
Bloomberg take a look at the story behind the story of Oliver Poole’s new book the Red Zone. The Daily Telegraph journalist spent five years in Iraq. In the book he pays tribute to the fixer who helped him along the way, a man called Ahmed Ali. Ali eventually fled to the Atlanta by way […]
Johann Hari wins the Orwell
The Independent’s Johann Hari has won the Orwell Prize for journalism. One of the five stories the judges picked up on was his extraordinary piece about France’s role in the Central African Republic – if you haven’t already read it, do so – you won’t be disappointed. He thanked the stringers he has worked with […]