Sherkat, editorial director of Zanan magazine in Tehran, added that she thinks she's both crazy and in love with her chosen profession.
She shared this and other thoughts about journalism during a panel discussion Oct. 27 at the National Geographic Society in Washington, DC. She was joined by other 2005 Courage winners Sumi Khan, a crime reporter from Bangladesh, and Anja Niedringhaus, a photographer for the Associated Press who has most recently been based in Iraq. The panel was moderated by Eleanor Clift of Newsweek, co-chair of the IWMF.
Sherkat said she could not imagine doing anything else besides journalism for a living. "I believe journalists are always dealing with problems and danger," said Sherkat, who has equated her life as a feminist editor among Iran’s fundamentalists to walking on a tightrope.
Maintaining balance is also frustrating for Niedringhaus, who has been covering wars around the world from close to 15 years. She’s now based in Baghdad.
"It’s nearly impossible to do our jobs freely," she said. Niedringhaus must be wary of moving about the streets freely, so more Iraqi photographers go out on assignment while she is their editor.
Niedringhaus not only struggles to obtain information and cover the Iraqi people; she must also be wary of being mistaken for an insurgent. "You're trying not to have an enemy," she said, "but there's always someone there who's watching you."
The uncertainty and danger some journalists face every day is often overlooked, said Clift. She added that most journalists should be grateful that they don’t have to fear for their lives each day as they do their jobs.
Sumi Khan, a crime reporter in Bangladesh, which is considered one of the most dangerous countries for journalists in the world, said she feels it is her duty to speak for others and advocate for change, despite the risks she takes.
"As a human being, I have to do anything on behalf of humanity," she said.
Khan, who is based in Chittagong, covers the Bangladeshi mafia for Samakal, a daily newspaper. Khan remained optimistic when an audience member asked her what the next 10 years will hold.
"We have to fight for good things," she said. "We have to fight for justice."