Reading time 9 minutes[epapop id=’3958′]
Lida Kaloeva, student of the faculty of journalism of higher school of Economics, entered top 10 young and promising journalists under the version of Esquire, he worked in “Iodine,” wrote a series of articles for the site “so it goes”. The greatest attention was attracted by report on pseudological funds, which raised money for treatment of sick children throughout Moscow. Lida told them why the work in the field and fight even for the small changes became her choice.
– How did you decide that you want to work in the field of social journalism?
– It was a completely random story. I began to engage in such journalistic activities in the 10th grade, I got the internship. Then do a stupid job, like all journalists – ran the events and wills that they happen. In the 11th grade was a correspondent for the small opposition in the media, then me and sucked. I spoke with protesters in St. Petersburg, and they enlightened me. When he arrived in Moscow, began working as a freelance in “Iodine”, then to “Such cases.” Can’t say that social journalism is my choice, just that you are very quickly hooked on the needle of misery. I was called to work in “the Billboard” correspondent at culture. I did, spoke with the Dutch curator of the Vienna actionist, which is 65, but you listen to it and think: “you are all so good, very interesting, but so well, and where is the tragedy, who need to be saved? I’m ready!”. It’s a terribly scary thought when you realize that in Russia you sometimes forget to live in peace and always ready to fight, something to suffer, sure to be a hero, to sacrifice and further down the list. Russia as a hellish black hole into which everything sucks.
– Are you ready all my life to hear a tragic story with the idea that nothing really change? You write the material, but people will remain in this situation.
– The question of change is moot. Of course, in a global sense is impossible, we’re not talking about the fourth estate. But there are a few things I could change, working in Moscow as a journalist in the regions. When I went to Novgorod oblast, a village, there was the situation that people were evicted from their homes. For this story I didn’t need to talk with the authorities, with the Prosecutor’s office. I talked to the heroes of the material, I had two free hours before departure. I went to him to the Prosecutor. The watch was sitting a woman, I asked how to get to the chief Prosecutor. Go up to it, knock, go in, show the card to the press, get the recorder: “Why did you allow this?”. He was like, “Um, we heard about this situation, did not think she was this heavy.” They are engaged, the house has remained. And it’s cool, although the work was at the micro level.
– For you to significant real action, not the texts?
– Yes, the job of a journalist is to tell stories, convey information and not to save everyone and everything. But sometimes I feel the meaninglessness of their novotneho seat, and you really want to be sure in the field, on a quest and there’s nothing you can do. For redesigned mini-stories are your personal meetings with the heroes of the stories. But no one warned that this journalist is very hard. Before you stands a man and says: “I escaped from the Dagestan brick-works, if someone tried to escape, they broke his legs and gave “Paracetamol”, you need to work at least 13 hours.” And you realize that there is a mini GULAG in modern Russia today. This was the topic where I broke down in that year, are unable to work with it further. The deeper you dig, the more I realize how bad it is, and this almost nothing can be done. But to write the text or to jump into the fight, to carry food to their heroes, I’m more for the second. Is journalism an honest heart. People are less and less willing to work in the fields. It is better to sit at home, writing news, not to go where can be uncomfortable, where you will see scary stuff, wild injustice, to this not all ready.
Overreacting to those stories or go quickly?
To be exposed – an important element of journalism. Everything you know helps not to fade. From this information it becomes easier not, her life is just harder. Sometimes I want to Wake up in the morning and think that everything is well. But is such a small sacrifice – to bear the weight of this knowledge in return that I do a good job, not even speaking about the changes and impact.
– You wrote about the scams that collected money on the streets and in traffic jams ostensibly for sick children. How do you feel about beggars, it is also a Scam? Could there be a situation when the person really is in trouble, and he has no other choice?
– My mother always gives money, so I did. Only after the text in the “Novaya Gazeta” about the starvation mob I am beginning to wonder. I hate begging as a profession. Homeless people, for example, it’s not always drunks and not always their choice. In their case I always have with me on the advice of his beloved Elena Kostyuchenko, a spare hat and scarf. We must admit that the most compassionate stories is deception and fraud. But there are exceptions. Once in the subway I saw a woman who at first hesitated in the corner, then carefully began to speak, half of the question cried out at the next station, she was so embarrassed and ashamed. This is the main sign that a person is in trouble – he’s very ashamed to ask money from others, he’s not used to it, it’s not his way of life. I believed the woman and came to her. She had surgery, but the recovery period was delayed. She spent all the money in the hospital in Moscow, and it is not enough for a ticket home. I asked how much she needed the money. The woman began to count and got 500 roubles from his boot. This detail took me out! I gave her all the money I had, so she was able to get home.
– You said about Elena Kostyuchenko. It is very often for their essays home to a few days along with the characters. So are you ready to experience for writing material?
Is great courage and professionalism. I don’t have the guts. If I do, it won’t do any. Recently, my friend Ivan Chesnokov from “These cases,” lived a few days with the homeless. Very cool journalistic work, not even talking about the text, it is good to explain, but not stylistically brilliant. To me, the human mini-feat that made Vanya, makes the text absolutely breathtaking. On the other hand you spend the night with the characters, but if you don’t put words into sentences, it is also a tragedy.
– what I want to write in the future? Or all the themes come to you as an assignment?
– On “Such matters” I was given only one topic, which urgently needed to be done – closing the education centre for migrant children. The majority of those up myself. And this is a very important skill. Themes around everywhere and somehow spilled to invent them. It is necessary to snatch out of the picture day details, feel look around the world. Recently went from hull on Semyonov and saw the advertisement for the recruitment of consultants and diagnosticians to conduct medical procedures, experience not required. I have broken it, phoned me in the evening, I feel that it will be a blueprint of the new material.
Alexander Alekseev
“I have long been inspired as #thepike and actionism in General. Thanks to credible sources of information I started to discover the horrifying facts. I was scared for others. The most memorable interaction with people. During, before and after the action. Someone thinks mad that someone supports, someone also decides to come up with a poster”.
“there Were a lot of emotions, but they disappeared in a very strong sense of unease and discomfort. A man with a poster in a residential area was inappropriate. You look like you was without an important piece of clothing. Somehow, in the vicinity of his home was the worst, and on the way to the subway had to hide the poster from people.”
