James Angelos
November 6, 2012
Freelance journalist based in Berlin, Germany.
Biography
He has written for Foreign Affairs, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The New Republic and World Policy Journal.
Prior to moving to Berlin, he was a writer for The New York Times City Section. He has also worked as a recorder of oral histories, traveling across America for StoryCorps.
Update (May 15, 2012): The picture was taken by James Angelos and shows supporters of the ultranationalist Golden Dawn party celebrating in Athens after they won seven percent of the vote on May 6, which allowed them to enter parliament for the first time.
As Greece has become the main point of entry of irregular migrants into the European Union, Golden Dawn’s electoral success stems from rising anti-immigrant sentiment.
According to James, many migrants express little desire to stay in Greece, where there are no job opportunities and lacking government services, leading to desperate conditions in blighted urban areas. Now, in addition to poverty and hunger, many migrants fear racist attacks. When he took this picture, James was interviewing a 23-year-old
Interview
Why does immigration reporting matter today?
Immigration reporting touches upon fundamental aspects of societies: culture, religion, notions of national identity, and often, how these come into conflict.
What resources would you recommend on the topic?
– In Europe, the Brussels-based Migration Policy Group does some good research (http://www.migpolgroup.com) as does the Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration (http://www.svr-migration.de).
– In the USA, the Migration Policy Institute (http://www.migrationpolicy.org) and the Pew Research Center (http://pewresearch.org/topics/immigration) are good resources.
What makes an outstanding reporter?
Empathy without sentimentality, ability to get to the heart of matters without oversimplification.
Who are your journalism inspirations?
Writing in journalistic style can be like trying to dance while wearing a straitjacket. When looking for inspiration on how one might do this, I sometimes read a sampling of Barry Bearak’s work, particularly the articles he has written for The New York Times from Afghanistan.