Afghan Steps
Ahmad Masood
Reuters
Many fine journalists are “accidents of history”; individuals who turn to this craft unexpectedly when tumultuous events upset their hopes and dreams. Journalism is not something you need a diploma for, unlike the law, accountancy or medicine. The best way to learn is on the job, from people who know how to do it. Many try and fail. A fair few succeed and Ahmad Masood is one of them. In late 2001, Masood was 21 and living in the town of Jab-al-Sarraj, a staging post for Northern Alliance forces in the Panjshir Valley. His dream had been to flee Afghanistan and join a brother in London. Then 9/11 happened. With excellent self-taught English, he offered himself as a “fixer” to foreign journalists converging on Jab-al-Sarraj for the war. His first job, earning $100 a day, was with a Reuters Television cameraman, then with a Reuters photographer and journalist Ros Russell. He accompanied them into Kabul on the heels of the Northern Alliance. “He’s the best by far. Hire him,” Ros told me when I kindly “ inherited“ Masood from her.
Preview
For four weeks we roamed Kabul and its surroundings, venturing as far as Bamiyan, the site of monumental ancient Buddhas carved into the rock face that the Taliban had blown to pieces earlier in 2001. Ros was right about Masood. He was an excellent interpreter, a skilled negotiator who could get you most places and an engaging guide to Afghan history and culture. He clearly had talent and for a while tried his hand at reporting and writing for Reuters. Then, one day, he had to go north to the town of Mazar-i-Sharif on a story and there was no photographer to accompany him. So he took a small digital camera and the rest is history. Masood discovered he had a gift for news photography and after learning the ropes from experienced visiting staff photographers, he is a staff photographer himself, running our Afghan photos operation from Kabul.
Paul Holmes, Editor for Political & General News Reuters
