From Bonneau’s Instagram page—*courtneybonneauphotography*

From Lebanon, Courtney Bonneau Scott Carrier Download

This is an interview with independent reporter Courtney Bonneau, recorded on April 24th in Tyre (also known as Sour), Lebanon. Soon after I recorded it, I sent the raw tape to three big, public radio news programs in the United States, one after the other. I thought the story was timely and important and a large audience should hear it. But all three programs turned it down, for various reasons that I didn’t and don’t believe. I believe they’re afraid to play stories critical of Israel, even when Israel assassinates fellow journalists, because they’re afraid there may be lawsuits, people may get fired, their entire show may be cancelled. They would be left without jobs, without a future—it’s like they are afraid their village may be destroyed by bombs.

But I can play the story here, on my podcast. Israel can bomb my house, I can live without it. I have a professional and moral obligation to say that it’s wrong to target and kill journalists, that it’s wrong to kill civilians and take their land, and that it’s wrong to make the bombs and weapons to support these war crimes. We are not the good guys in this war. We are the bad guys. I’m saying these things because I believe that if I do not, then it would have been better that I’d never been born.

This story was co-produced with Jenny Ament, who was there with me in Lebanon and the interview with Courtney.

Thanks for listening.

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Amal Khalil, from a Guardian story about Khalil’s death, click here.

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