A recent lecture at Stony Brook University’s Charles B. Wang Center highlighted the evolving challenges faced by international journalists working in conflict zones. The event, titled "Zones of Conflict: The Art of Investigative Documentary Filmmaking," was organized by the Marie Colvin Center for International Reporting, part of the university’s School of Communication and Journalism.
Robin Barnwell, a documentary filmmaker with extensive experience in hostile environments, shared his personal experiences with a standing-room-only audience on October 8. Barnwell recounted his 2006 trip to Somalia to cover what he described as “the first Islamic revolution since 9/11.” He noted the dangers present at the time, saying, “I was nervous because months previous, a Channel 4 journalist was shot dead, and a few months before that, a BBC journalist was also murdered. Mogadishu had become a no-go zone for international journalists. But we forged a relationship with the Islamic Court’s new de facto government of Somalia, and we received an invite.”
Barnwell described being warned about Aden Hashi Farah Ayro, the leader of Al Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-affiliated group. “He was wanted by the CIA and we were told he didn’t like Westerners and he didn’t like us being there and that we should avoid any contact with him,” Barnwell said. Despite these warnings, Barnwell discovered Ayro was staying in the same hotel.
By building trust with a member of the government and clarifying his role as a journalist, Barnwell gained access to the Islamic Courts for three weeks. This access resulted in the documentary "Somalia: Hearts, Minds and Holy War," which provided an account of the Islamic revolution and the establishment of a new Taliban-style state in the region. Barnwell even secured an interview with Ayro, who later gave him access to the front lines. “He gave us a trip out to the front line where the Ethiopian army on the other side was preparing to invade,” Barnwell said. He added that in 2008, the Ethiopian army invaded and the Islamic Courts were overthrown. Ayro was later killed in an American drone strike.
Barnwell reflected on how the landscape for journalists has changed. “I tell you this story not to highlight any personal bravado, but to show how the world has changed for filmmakers and journalists over the course of my career,” he said. “The access my colleague and I got wouldn’t be given today. These organizations have their own media outlets. They don’t need the traditional mainstream media to report for them and these organizations wouldn’t trust the Western media. We’re seeing that in our own countries as the traditional media is challenged by the new independent sources.”
He noted that restrictions on journalists have increased globally, including in Western countries. “But I’ve had to adapt over the years because there are lots of countries now where I just can’t step foot. The rise of authoritarianism globally and the restrictions on journalists, sadly, even in Western countries, has made it increasingly difficult for us to do our jobs,” Barnwell said.
Barnwell also discussed the importance of advancing public understanding through storytelling. He recounted his work on a documentary about the mass detention of Muslims in northwest China. “In 2017 people started going missing in northwest China. By the time I started looking at the story the next year the Chinese government had placed more than a million Muslims in specially built camps,” he said. “It was the largest incarceration of an ethnic population since the Second World War. The BBC had been on the ground, but the Chinese government had hindered their coverage. Though their reporting was powerful, it wasn’t telling a bigger picture. I thought the larger frame for the documentary was to cover the new form of government that was being developed to control humans through technology, which is called digital authoritarianism.”
He explained his aim to tell both the story of the Uyghurs and the broader issue of digital authoritarianism and global surveillance technology used for repression. “That’s what I thought would take the journalism forward in this case,” Barnwell said.
Barnwell’s documentary "Undercover: Inside China’s Digital Gulag" won multiple awards and provided insight into how an estimated million or more Muslims were held in detention camps without trial.
During his lecture, Barnwell shared video footage from various assignments, including stories from Israel, Palestine, and Ukraine, where he covered a case involving a Ukrainian girl kidnapped and adopted by a Russian official. He addressed challenges such as sourcing, verification, fact-checking, and misinformation in today’s digital news environment.
In a question-and-answer session, Barnwell emphasized maintaining relationships with sources. “These are very powerful relationships and I keep in touch with as many as I can,” he said. “These people put their heart and soul to give something stronger to the world by telling their story. We have a responsibility to keep in touch and to understand how their stories have developed.”
Sarah Baxter, director of the Colvin Center, praised Barnwell’s approach: “Much like Marie Colvin herself, Robin Barnwell puts people at the heart of his investigative storytelling. We’re very lucky to have him here and tell us about his extraordinary life and work.”