The Legacy Of Kim Wall, The Journalist
We should be used to this by now. We should be used to hearing women dying in the hands of men. Still, the death of Kim Wall touched people near and far. Her death was caused by a person, whose legacy I hope no one will remember and whose name will echo in silence from now on.
Her life, her precious life and her courageous career were snuffed out of this world in an instant.
Now they’re talking about body parts in the news.
How tired I am to read month after month, week after week, Finnish news about murders and killings, where the “event had something to do with one-sided romantic feelings”. How unexpected and normalized it is, how de-sensitized I am. How tired we are of women turning into bodies all over the world and of the way the media covers it.
Why, then, when tragedies such as these have become everyday news, does the fate of Kim Wall feel so personal?
Because of journalism, for one. Even as a freelancer who hasn’t experienced anything she did, like traveling to the Marshall Islands, Haiti, Cuba, Uganda, Sri Lanka, and even North Korea, looking for stories to tell the truth about the world, you understand the momentary trust and relationship you have with every person you’re interviewing. “Name the place you want to be interviewed at.” You don’t mind. You can travel where they want to be interviewed.
Like Alexis Okeowo so put it, “So much of reporting relies on placing a certain amount of trust in the people you are covering, and Kim’s instincts led her to believe that she would be safe. In a parallel reality, one where her subject was more decent, she could have returned with a fascinating story, as she always did—offbeat, insightful, entertaining. Instead, we are left with thoughts of what could have been, and a devastating sadness.”
To abuse this trust between a journalist and an interviewee is beyond horrible.
Another reason why this touched many was the position female travellers who travel alone are in. The public response that’s bubbling under stays the same. “Well there you go, we told you so, we knew something was going to happen when you weren’t travelling with a man.” As someone who loves travelling alone, this felt like a slap in the face.
Better to stay at home so that no one will murder you.
I believe in a free trial and the Scandinavian judicial process. But I can’t help that there’s a part of me wanting to smash things and scream, ”We know what happened!” Of course we know what happened with that little man. She rejected you and you thought that this woman owes you something– so you decided to kill her. Like foretold by Atwood.
Dear Kim Wall, I didn’t know you, but I know your work. Your legacy will not be your death, it cannot be. We, as female writers, must stay brave – we must dare, even when our faith in the world is shaken by events like these. Instead of learning from your death, we must learn from your life and passion.
