The Journey of a Female War Correspondent in the First World War

Proceedings of The 5th World Conference on Social Sciences Studies

Year: 2023

DOI:

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The Journey of a Female War Correspondent in the First World War

Gabriella Jeki

ABSTRACT: 

Margit Vészi, the Hungarian correspondent, was living in Berlin when she received the news of the outbreak of the First World War. As the only Hungarian female war correspondent from the Faculty of War Correspondents of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, she could travel across countries and borders to report firsthand to Hungarian readers. She visited 14 countries during the war. Vészi conducted numerous interviews and wrote reports, including ‘on-site’ battlefield reports, which she published not only as newspaper articles but also in two books: ‘In Burning Europe’ (Az Égő Európa) in 1915 and ‘On the Road’ (Útközben) in 1918. In these works, she described her own experiences as well as the memories and impressions of her interviewees. Through her writing, she aimed to convey the horrors and senselessness of the war, providing a means to understand the traumas faced by both the readers and the people she met along her journey. With Margit Vészi’s journey, we can gain insight into the diverse narratives and perspectives surrounding the Great War. My research aims to showcase the important role played by this lesser-known female journalist of the turn-of-the-century era in communicating the First World War. Through maps, newspaper articles, and archival documents, we trace her journey across a total of 14 countries, offering an intriguing and sometimes surprising glimpse into the work of war correspondents during that period. This research not only uncovers a life story but also provides new insights into the methods and practices of journalists in the field, especially when a woman takes the spotlight.

keywords: journalism, report, articles, history, communication