Peter Hessler’s piece in which he followed a trash collector in Cairo was really interesting in that it showcases a perspective that not many people think about: the collector is able to learn so many intimate details about people’s lives just by collecting their trash. This piece also raised some questions for me regarding the line between the professional relationship between a journalist and a source and the personal relationship which can allow for stronger character building. In the case of the trash collector, it seemed that the author had a close personal relationship which included visiting him in his home many times and having casual conversations in which they asked each other about their kids for instance. He also joined him on his trash collection route. This somewhat blurs the lines between professional and personal relationships, but I think it allowed the writer to gain a much better understanding of the person he is writing about.

The piece about Iraqi-centric clubs in Damascus is another example of how immersing yourself in a setting as a journalist can help you pick up on small details through observation or conversation. It’s also important to recognize that this might mean being in environments in which you stand out or might feel uncomfortable for a variety of reasons (the piece mentioned discomfort due to language skills, but this can apply to other contexts as well). I can only imagine how challenging it is to be in certain places to report a story and to develop a more intimate understanding of the characters you are righting about by immersing yourself into their world and going where they would go.

Lastly, the piece about the Syrian intelligence officer is very interesting, especially when it comes to the level of access that’s required to get some of the information and context presented in the piece. I would be very curious to know how a reporter uncovers something such as someone acting as a double agent for multiple intelligence agencies given the level of secrecy required to maintain an identity like that in the first place. It is also interesting to note that this piece was still successful in painting a picture of the characters and his complexities without the same intimate understanding which comes from accompanying the character or “embedding” as in the previous two pieces.