Radcliffe hears from NPR journalist Ofeibea Quist-Arcton
Patience and compassion: Even in an age of electronic media moving at breakneck speed, these old-fashioned virtues are essential to getting the story — and getting it right. That was the message conveyed by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, NPR’s all-purpose Africa reporter, Thursday at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. Delivering this year’s Rama S. Mehta Lecture, the London-born journalist, who identifies as Ghanian because of her family heritage, spoke about her in-depth efforts to amplify the voices of African women. “African women, African girls — what they have to say is important, and we don’t hear enough of it,” she said. As Quist-Arcton related the development of various stories to the audience, what came up repeatedly were her methods, a mix of careful journalism and shared humanity that has elevated the Peabody and Edward R. Murrow-award winner’s work. “We as reporters don’t dig deep enough,” she said. Finding interview subjects in the open-air markets of...