Resources
Marie Colvin’s life and mission have been captured in several books and films.
We’ve also included important resources aligned with our mission to support journalistic education, freedom of the press, humanitarian aid and human rights.
“It has always seemed to me that what I write about is humanity in extremis, pushed to the unendurable, and that it is important to tell people what really happens in wars.”
— Marie Colvin
Books
On the Front Line: The Collected Journalism of Marie Colvin
2012
Harper Press, London
Immediate and compelling, On the Front Line is a collection of Marie’s journalism, providing a street-view of the historic events that have shaped the last 25 years. It includes her various interviews with Yassar Arafat and Moamar Gadaffi, accounts from East Timor where her refusal to leave saved thousands of lives, her terrifying escape from the Russion Army in Chechnya, and the Sri Lankan Civil War in which she was hit by shrapnel, leaving her blind in one eye. All proceeds from this book go to the Marie Colvin Fund.
In Extremis: The Life and Death of the War Correspondent Marie Colvin
2018
by Lindsey Hilsum
A comprehensive biography of Marie’s life and work, written by her friend and acclaimed British journalist, Lindsey Hilsum. A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice. Finalist for the Costa Biography Award and long-listed for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence. Named a Best Book of 2018 by Esquire and Foreign Policy. An Amazon Best Book of November, the Guardian Bookshop Book of November, and one of the Evening Standard's Books to Read.
Under the Wire: Marie Colvin's Final Assignment
2013
by Paul Conroy
War photographer Paul Conroy’s true account of his friendship with Marie, and the final year they spent working together. Astonishingly vivid, heart-stoppingly dramatic and shot through with dark humor, in Under the Wire Paul Conroy shows what it means to be a war reporter in the 21st century. His is a story of two brave people drawn together by a shared compulsion to bear witness.The book was the basis of the documentary film Under the Wire.
Films
Bearing Witness (2005)
Marijana Wotton, Barbara Kopple, and Bob Eisenhardt have crafted a brutally honest, sometimes graphic video diary which documents the lives of five female career war reporters, including Marie Colvin. It explores the grisly heights of the daily life threatening risks and the on-call demands of the job. Features extensive interviews with Marie by her friend filmmaker, Marijana Wotton.
Under the Wire (2018)
On 13 February 2012, two journalists entered war-ravaged Syria. One of them was celebrated Sunday Times war correspondent, Marie Colvin. The other was photographer, Paul Conroy. Their aim was to cover the plight of Syrian civilians trapped in Homs, a city under siege and relentless military attack from the Syrian army. Only one of them returned. This is their story.
Freedom of the Press & Journalistic Education
Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontières)
An international non-profit organization that safeguards the right to freedom of information. Its advocacy is founded on the belief that everyone requires access to the news and information, inspired by Article 19 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights that recognizes the right to receive and share information regardless of frontiers, along with other international rights charters.
International Women's Media Foundation
Working to Support, Protect, and Recognize the Critical Role of Female Journalists. IWMF offers safety training, reporting trips, and byline opportunities, all tailored to female journalists — both established, and up-and-coming. Their mission is to unleash the potential of women journalists as champions of press freedom to transform the global news media.
Marie Colvin Journalists' Network
The Network is an online community linking up-and-coming female journalists in the Middle East with mentors, and providing practical support including counselling and training. Founded by her friends Jane Wellesley, Lyse Doucet and Lindsey Hilsum, it operates in association with The Circle, a movement founded by singer-songwriter and social activist Annie Lennox, who met Marie shortly before her death.
Committee to Protect Journalists
An independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide, defending the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.
Global Investigative Journalism Network
Journalists’ network in support of worldwide investigative and data driven journalists. Provides resources and networking opportunities along with developmental help.
Pew Research Center — Journalism & Media
Publishes reliable research and data surrounding audience trend analysis, engagement, social media and other areas.
Human Rights & Humanitarian Aid
The Center for Justice & Accountability
The CJA’s mission is to deter torture, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other severe human rights abuses around the world through innovative litigation, policy, and transitional justice strategies.
Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders
Providing Medical Aid where it’s needed most — independent, neutral, impartial.
Founded to save lives and speak out, MSF has treated tens of millions of people since 1971.
International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and gain control of their future.
PTSD & Journalist Safety Resources
Dart Center for PTSD and Mental Health (Columbia Journalism School)
First defined by the American Psychiatric Association in 1980, post-traumatic stress disorder is now a widely-recognized diagnosis backed up by decades of science. What do reporters need to know about PTSD, both how it affects those we cover, and the impact of covering trauma on ourselves? What should reporters understand about covering other mental health issues and disorders?
Photo and print journalists report on topics, from routine domestic issues to unforeseen, highly disturbing events, such as car accidents, homicide, natural disaster, famine, and war. As a result, some journalists find themselves in situations in which their lives are threatened and they are witness to significant human suffering. The National Center for PTSD (US) provides resources to journalists and others suffering from the long-lasting effects of PTSD.
Reporters Instructed in Saving Colleagues
Provides training for journalists in combat zones on how to treat life-threatening injuries.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Refugee Trauma
Raising the standard of care and increasing access to services for children and families who experience or witness traumatic events.
Articles
Mental Health Tips for Journalists in the Time of Coronavirus (panel discussion)
National Association of Hispanic Journalists Los Angeles
European Journal of Psychotraumatology