Linda Harrison finds that while the EU capital Brussels is a small city it is home to lots of big news
Martin Banks is a freelance journalist who has worked in Brussels since 2001. He says: “It’s caused a lot of concern and fear … it is almost tangible. [There are] armoured trucks and armed soldiers on the street. It feels like an occupied city.” Sally, a freelance journalist and deputy editor at Ackroyd Publications, found taking the metro the morning after the attacks an eerie experience. “Dozens of soldiers guarding every station, armed police checking people’s bags as they entered, trains passing darkened, deserted platforms in the stations that were closed,” she says.
“People are reporting airport check-in times of four hours and more. The shock of seeing heavily armed police and military on the streets has been wearing off ever since the lockdown in November after the Paris attacks; it’s remarkable how quickly you get used to these things and accept them as the new normal. “The city is noticeably quieter, and underground transport is still limited. We’ve seen concerts and other events cancelled, and hotels are slashing their prices because they have no customers. “For all the sympathy and solidarity shown in the aftermath by the rest of the world, in terms of politics and intelligence, Belgium hasn’t come out looking very good. It’s a complicated country, and it remains to be seen what, if any, lasting impact these events will have.” She feels there are challenges ahead for Belgium’s politicians and security services.
remember working in a busy newsroom in Leicester at the time of the London bombings, and there was a real buzz of activity all day,” says Brussels journalist Sally Tipper, talking of the recent bomb attacks in the Belgian capital. “Here, I work in a much smaller team, and we share an office with the sales department of a different company. Aside from us, the place was largely silent; we were the only ones talking about what was happening. “We were glued to local news and social media and the phones, trying to get a hold on what had happened and get the story straight. There was so much conflicting information and, even now, there are still question marks – not to mention the wider questions about how this could happen.” Altogether, 32 people died and more than 300 were injured on 22 March at Brussels airport and Maelbeek metro station.
I 10 | theJournalist
Brussels may be a small city but, as a base for the EU and NATO, is home to many journalists and photographers. It’s packed with foreign correspondents – about 1,000 accredited to the EU alone, according to Peter Spiegel, Brussels bureau chief at the Financial Times. The English language press is by far the biggest in town. The major international news organisations all have a presence there, including Reuters, Bloomberg and AP. Peter adds that some have taken on more staff because of the Brexit referendum. Many staff and freelance journalists work for EU specialist English language news outlets, including bimonthly Politico magazine and its online services, and online titles EU Reporter, EurActiv, EUobserver and The Bulletin (published by Ackroyd). Sally adds: “The demand for well-written marketing copy in English seems to be growing. Freelance work has been fairly easy to come by, although it’s been down to word of mouth …
PATRICK GUENETTE / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
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