“What Anthony Shadid did was to What’s more, said Khouri, is that When it arrived, Chebaro found a really listen and let people speak for he really cared. “Anthony had been variety of materials covering Shadid’s themselves,” said Rami G. Khouri, a reporting on a widow in Iraq and work of more than two decades in “The Greatest Communicator” long-time journalist and scholar, who her three children. His readers in the Iraq, Libya, Egypt, Palestine, Syria has taken the lead on analyzing and U.S. wanted to help. He relayed their and Lebanon. Shadid’s family hopes researching the Shadid Archives. “There donations back to them.” the archives will “contribute to timely, are many good journalists who write nuanced and relevant research about Anthony Shadid's powerful human interest pieces, but Shadid’s “humane reporting came at Middle Eastern studies from and about he is the only one who did the kind of a time, after 9/11, when it was sorely the region.” writing he did.” needed,” he added. “Then Rami (Khouri) came by and he Archives Khouri attributes Shadid’s writing to a The Archives was very interested in them. He started unique combination of assets. First, his In an interview in her office at the raising funds for a research assistant to strong interest in covering the region, entrance to the archives, Kaoukab help catalog the materials.” Come Home to AUB inspired by his Lebanese heritage; his Chebaro, Ph.D., AUB Associate friendly yet soft manner; his selection of University Librarian for Archives and Khouri has also launched a major sources and the time and attention he Special Collections, told the story of how project that will contribute to the gave them; and his painstaking writing Shadid’s papers came to AUB. education of future journalists, method. particularly foreign correspondents. “I had always followed his writings. I “We are playing a supporting role,” said “He wanted to show how regular people was in awe of his style and courage, his Chebaro. here felt,” said Khouri. “What are their very humanizing reporting, especially in challenges? Their wishes for their contrast to most international reporting. children? What Anthony did was to cut Saying 10 bombs fell is a very different through the stereotypes and let the Arab perspective from talking about the world paint its own portrait. subjective, lived experience of the people A course based on on the ground,” she said with obvious materials in the emotion. archives.

“When he passed away, I thought it Narrative news reporting and the Other correspondents just would be lovely to house his papers legacy of Anthony Shadid call up on the phone – 'I need here. I felt it was the best way I knew One of the first things Khouri did was a quote. Why do Sunnis and of to pay tribute to him. The university create a course based on materials in he Anthony Shadid Archives at the American University of Beirut had recently revised its policy, making the archives. He and Shadid had been Shias hate each other?' the archives a more active teaching and friends since 1998, when Khouri was the T are creating research and learning opportunities that promise to research resource about the region.” former editor and a columnist of The influence the next generation of foreign correspondents. “The lesson? Take the time. Other Jordan Times in Amman and Shadid correspondents just call up on the phone Chebaro reached out to Shadid’s wife. was a correspondent in Egypt. Since – ‘I need a quote. Why do Sunnis and “She told me she was too overwhelmed then until Shadid’s death, they met Shias hate each other?’ They just want at the time, but would think about it. I about once a year “to catch up,” said “The greatest communicator” a sound bite. Anthony wasn’t like that. followed up with an email six months Khouri. Below the American University of The degree includes the text of a speech Shadid, called “the greatest He never closed his notebook as long as later and she answered that she was Beirut’s (AUB) Jefet Library, the AUB given by the university chancellor at the communicator” between the Arab world someone was talking with him.” in Beirut. She came to visit here, then For his course, Khouri drew on archive Archives occupy a huge, cool room ceremony: and the West, was widely respected spoke to her family and agreed. Once material (including 350 of Shadid’s full of long, steel shelves, filled with by his professional peers. When The Khouri is in his second year of studying she was back in the U.S., she packed articles about the Middle East), his important primary source research Prior to his untimely death … Anthony New York Times hired Shadid at the the archives and reconstructing Shadid’s everything up and we had it shipped personal experience with Shadid and a materials. Among them are the personal Shadid was doing what he loved to end of 2009, it was considered a coup. methods. Through the archives and here.” series of interviews he conducted with papers of the late Lebanese-American do and what he did so well … During The two-time Pulitizer Prize-winning interviews with 46 colleagues around Shadid’s former colleagues. Offered once journalist Anthony Shadid – 27 boxes a 15-year career abroad, he reported foreign correspondent had covered the the world, he aims to follow the a year in the spring semester, Khouri’s of field notebooks, his personal book from most countries in the Middle East, Middle East for The Associated Press, exceptional journalist’s process from course introduces students to Shadid’s collection, research papers dating including as the Beirut bureau chief The Boston Globe and The Washington interview to story. “He took meticulous work as a model for developing their back to 1904 and, among other things, for The New York Times … Through his Post. The Times called him: “an intrepid notes with comments about elements he Materials covering Shadid’s own narrative journalism. an honorary degree of Doctor of lifelong coverage of one of the world’s reporter, a keen observer, an insightful thought would make a good story. After Humane Letters from the University of most volatile regions, often under work of more than two analyst and a lyrical stylist. Much of his reporting, he typed up his notes, read decades in Iraq, Libya, His goal, Khouri said, is to study the Oklahoma – his undergraduate alma dangerous circumstances, he helped work centered on ordinary people who through the transcripts, made notes craftsmanship of a master foreign mater, awarded to him posthumously. Americans learn what was happening in had been forced to pay an extraordinary about what he wanted to use, created Egypt, Palestine, Syria and correspondent in order to glean Shadid died at the age of 43 on Feb. the rest of the world and how it affected price for living in the region – or outlines that looked more like movie Lebanon. techniques to teach future journalists. 16, 2012, of an apparent asthma attack fellow human beings. belonging to the religion, ethnic group scripts, wrote the story, reworked it, He aims to develop a manual based on while reporting from Syria. or social class – that they did.” revised it and edited it.” the Shadid method.

76 Magazine - HOMELAND & HERITAGE By Sandra Whitehead Magazine - HOMELAND & HERITAGE 77