In the age of the Internet, it’s easy to report on the world from afar, to rely on the lenses of others to provide glimpses of faraway lands.
But in journalism, there’s no substitute for shoe leather. Putting boots on the ground allows you to understand a place in a way that no amount of reading or browsing Google Earth ever could.
Overseas, everything is unfamiliar to the American eye – the smells, sounds and smiles of the people. It’s one thing to write about Ghana‘s growing economy; it’s another to buy from the peddlers walking among the cars on the streets of Accra, to breathe dust and exhaust and to see half-built concrete houses where people have invested their savings. You can label Brazil and India emerging markets, but empty terminology doesn’t capture the vibrancy and challenges that are so painfully obvious when you step off a plane in these countries.
With the help of our long-time advertisers including Delta Air Lines Inc., Global Atlanta visited eight countries in 2012 to illuminate Atlanta’s connections with the world. We visited Haiti’s presidential palace weeks before its demolition, learned about the power of toilets in Indian villages, interviewed budding Ghanaian software entrepreneurs, looked at Paris airport development and more.
Click the country below to read a summary of our trip.
