I think we should stop using the word "fixer". It is disrespectful and makes the local reporter seem like a person who merely 'fixes' the logistics and is not really a journalist whereas vary often h/she ideates , researches and is as much of a journalist as the "foreign correspondent". Terminology is important and I prefer the term collaborator.

Recently a local fixer for time magazine in Ethiopia, kasahun adis, was kicked out fro ethiopia but i do not think Tiem is supporting him.

این هم مانند هر شغلی برای خودش خطراتی دارد. فکر می کنم این افراد باید قرارداد محکمی با صاحب کارانشان ببندند و از همه مزیت های بیمه ای خبرنگاران این سازمان برخوردار شوند تا اگر اتفاقی افتاد خانواده هایشان با مشکلات کمتری مواجه باشند.

یکی از خطراتی که فیکسر ها را تهدید می کند دولت ها هستند. بعضی از دولت ها از فیکسرها توقع جاسوسی دارند و اگر همکاری نکنند خودشان به جرم جاسوسی دچار مشکل می شوند.

One local translator's eloquent first-person answer to this question can be found in his book, The Translator, by Daoud Hari ---- highly recommended reading for all! He describes his work helping film-makers and reporters from such publications as the New York Times, National Geographic, and many others report on the brutal genocide underway in Darfur. His own motivation is clear. He wanted to get the word out.

Janet Bingham U.S.A.

I will like to bring to the attention of Journalists around the world the gruesome murder of yet another Nigeria Journalist, Bayo Ohu (The Guardian Newspaper). Mr. Ohu was killed in a clear case of assasination by yet to be identified gunmen in his Lagos, Nigeria home on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009.

Before him were the killings of Abayomi Ogundeji (Thisday Newspaper), Godwin Agbroko(Thisday Newspaper, Bagauda Kaltho, Omololu Falobi (Punch Newspaper) and Dele Giwa(Newswatch Magazine) . The Independent Press is clearly under attack in Nigeria and in such an environment as this, it will be difficult for the Press to carry out its watchdog role.

"President Yar'Adua personally made a call to The Guardian Newspaper and said: "Accept my condolences. He (Ohu) was a nice chap. He did well, carried himself well and earned the respect of all" Take heart. Give my love to Bayo's family, the chairman (Alex Ibru), management and your colleagues."

"Ohu was The Guardian's Correspondent in Katsina State for many years during which period he knew the President closely as a commissioner under the military and, of course, as governor.

"Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola also sent a message of condolence from abroad.

"And the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, has expressed shock, anger and disgust over Ohu's murder by suspected assassins, saying no efforts should be speared to bring the perpetrators to book.

"Bankole, in a condolence message to the management and staff of The Guardian as well as the family of the deceased, said: "I am extremely saddened and shocked by the murder of Ohu who, in my reckoning, was a respectable and down to earth journalist."

"Bankole said that the murder of an innocent journalist like Ohu in his house before his children and family members was a savage and bizarre in this age and times when all nations and their citizenry are keeping pace with modernity".

Whilst earning money could make them survive and make life tick brightly, journalists take the risk as way of fullfilling their duties as committed, dependable and reliable personnel who stand to reveal the truth as it is where it happens.

I think local reporter and translator do this to seek the truth and to help the foreign journalist get the story accurately. It is difficult for foreign journalist who can't speak local language to get the fact in the field. It is more easy to get in touch with local people if the foreign journalist accompanying by local reporter or interpreter. Besides, they seek the money as a second choice.

First of all, for money. Because, in third world money is big factor for people to survive. Besides, war ravaged country journalists feel that they should help expose what is doing the powerful quarters inside their country in the name of maintaining peace. So, they help foreign media to get more insights.

"Journalists" who hole up in safe watering holes while their local assistant is out there risking life and limb, simply are not worth the name journalist. The local guys should be getting the credit and reward for the story. I once worked with a "famous Vietnam war reporter" during the turmoil of the late eighties and early nineties in South Africa who sat in his office all day relying on others to be out in the field and feed him information or sometimes he simply plagiarised other reports.

There is some sort of hierarchy within journalism that is very unfair to the whole team of people that make the news. Some news agencies and media abroad have translators, assistants, fixers, producers that do most of the research, the rough side of the work, and then the "correspondents" or the "foreign journalists" take all the credit of the hard work.

Like in films, where a long list of credits is displayed, with every bit of work that was done on display, in journalism articles, tv and radio reports should give all people that worked on the making of the news the credit they deserve.

Journalism is very unfair to the people that are doing the work "behind", and those people sometimes are the ones doing the job just because they have access to information, and they have good resources they want to use for some change in their society.

Ada Lu

A selfless soldier also lost his life in rescuing these two who placed themselves in harm's way. Is that not worthy of note? For shame.,

Bernard Hunt / Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

First of all, for money. Because, in third world money is big factor for people to survive. Besides, war ravaged country journalists feel that they should help expose what is doing the powerful quarters inside their country in the name of maintaining peace. So, they help foreign media to get more insights.