Avirama Golan: Wielding the Power of the Written Word

In her 30 years of journalistic experience, Avirama Golan has been an active witness to the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo, armed rebellion in Albania to thousands in Tel Aviv protesting the high cost of living in Israel. She has faced the most challenging conditions with fearless persistence to report one thing: the real story.

“Never imagine you know something before you see it,” said Golan, a senior correspondent for Haaretz, Israel’s oldest newspaper. “Trust your own eyes.”

Golan, 61, studied literature at Tel Aviv University and later completed her French literature studies in Paris, where she worked as a correspondent for a weekly magazine. Upon returning to Israel, she worked as correspondent and editor for Davar, which she described as a “socialist labor party newspaper.”

In 1991, she moved to Haaretz as a correspondent reporting on welfare and society issues, the Jewish Orthodox sector, issues of church and state in Israel and feminist issues. She describes Haaretz as an “independent, liberal newspaper concerned with human rights and economic democracy.”

Golan shared her experiences and lessons learned in the field with students from Professor Jacquelyn Spinner’s International Reporting class at Columbia College Chicago on Tuesday.

“Time, space and curiosity are essential to tell the story,” Golan said. “As journalists, we must have the knowledge to interpret and analyze what we see. We must be involved in society.”

She also talked about a project where Palestinian and Israeli female journalists had the opportunity to exchange ideas, share experiences and expertise and enhance their professional skills in a mixed environment. Golan learned that Palestinian news at present could be compared to the Israeli press in the 1950s because it is entirely controlled by the government. “A free press is our dream for the Palestinian state,” Golan said.