Home > Inside the Newsroom > Archives > 2007 > January > 03 > Entry
Saddam’s hanging
Where were you when?
It’s a question we pose often in discussions about historical events. I can still remember being in The Galley below Jones Dorm at East Carolina University when the first images of the space shuttle Challenger disaster aired on television.
I can remember vividly the looks of horror on the faces of my co-workers as we watched with rapt attention the pictures from New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. I still can hear the announcers’ words echoing through my head with the sobs of co-workers in the background.
Events like these are logged into our memories often for a lifetime. And these moments are times of great decision for a newsroom. One such moment happened Friday, Dec. 29 as the world waited for word from Iraq that former dictator Saddam Hussein had been executed.
We had our normal budget meeting at 4:30 Friday afternoon and discussed how we would handle the event. Then, like the rest of the world, we waited. Alerts came throughout the evening that the execution was imminent. We discussed what we were going to do with the story and pictures if they became available. And we waited.
Then, shortly after 10 p.m., the first word came in that the newly-formed Iraqi government had executed Saddam for crimes against humanity. History had been made, a historic moment in the war in Iraq. Stories began to move, many of which certainly had been written in advance awaiting this day.
Pictures moved slowly, but many images were celebratory in nature.
We had a duty to report on this historic event. And we wanted to do so with integrity and respect to all those involved. Thousands of U.S. soldiers died in part to bring this man to justice. Many in the Middle East had suffered under Saddam, while others were staunch followers. Only time will tell how this historic event will impact the world.
One thing is certain, I will always remember, as I am sure others will as well, where I was the night Saddam was hung by the government seeking to bring democracy to the country he once ruled with an iron fist. Where were you when you heard about the hanging of Saddam Hussein? I, and others, were there trying to make sure the story made it to you.
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