Dispatches from the Edge

"Sometimes the places that are most dangerous don't feel that bad at all..."

"Even in an armored car, we have to wear Kevlar vests. If we got ambushed, insurgents might be able to disable our car, then we'd have to take our chances outside. That's when the vest could come in handy. The guards radio our location constantly to CNN's office so that if we're kidnapped, CNN will at least know where it happened."

That's Anderson Cooper in his new book, "Dispatches from the Edge," talking about his coverage of the 2005 elections in Iraq, driving on "Route Irish", which he said is the most dangerous stretch of road in the world.

What am I getting myself into?

So this is the kind of job I want to have someday. I was kind of reluctant to pick up the book, because it could seriously talk me out of even thinking of wanting to be a reporter, let alone a foreign correspondent. Yes, it can be an exciting life, but risking your life for the sake of a 2-minute story? a 30-second sound bite? for a cable news network?

"Nurses with face masks scrub the mottled floor with stiff brushes and brooms. Until a few days ago, the room was filled with bodies lying side by side on the floor. They've now been buried in a mass grave on the outskirts of town. It's the third time nurses are trying to disinfect the floor, but the rot and puss have seeped into the cement. There are flies everywhere. Phil puts his camera down for a moment to change his batteries. 'Dont put that on the floor,' the head nurse warns him, worried it might pick up bacteria. Hard as they've tried, they can't get the smell out. The stench of bodies is still there, buried under layers of bleach."

And this was his story while covering the aftermath of the Asian tsunami in 2004.

I am just in awe of the stories that he talked about in the book, about the people that he have met, about the destruction that he had seen. How can he not be affected by this? There you are in the middle of chaos, of disaster, of suffering, of grief... but the main focus is getting the story and getting it done by the 6 pm news. Professionalism is key, you have to put up some sort of a wall between you and your subject to maintain objectivity, however embedded you are.

So is it really that worth it?

I think so. So I'm still an idealist when it comes to the media. That its primary reason of existence is to serve the public and the keep the government in check. That it's not all about the money, the stockholders, the conglomerates, the parent company, the advertisers.

Having the power to affect change.

It's an incredible responsibility. Putting into the forefront the issues and events that would otherwise be ignored or overlooked. Allowing this great country to go beyond its comfort bubble and reach out to the world community.

Ok, so maybe I'm giving the news media a little bit too much credit, but despite the critical jabs that it has taken, with unethical reporters giving journalism a bad name, I think that it does more good than bad.

I'm all for it. If given the opportunity, I'd take it in a heartbeat. Kevlar vests and all.