How did foreign journalists cover the killings in both Bosnia-Herzegovina and Rwanda? Did they contribute to conveying the truth and making an impact? Would the entry of foreign journalists into the Gaza Strip change the reality of the ongoing genocide? And would their coverage of the famine and massacres add to the daily coverage of local journalists? Why is the local press's coverage of wars seen as deficient compared to Western journalism, even though they incur greater losses and casualties?

This piece reflects on the ethics of foreign correspondence, arguing that journalists covering another country should not endorse political actors or try to shape outcomes; their role is to listen, observe and report what people think rather than tell societies what they should do.