It all went down in Central America. Southern Nicaragua, to be precise. Reporters from around the world were gathered near the entrance to a rebel base where the leader of the anti-communist rebels, named Commander Zero, was trying to decide what to do. The CIA had cut his funds and his troops were starving, and the reporters had all been told to keep out.

Chuck de Caro was working and was on special assignment for CNN at the time. He had hired a local pilot to fly him over the rebel base, and then jumped out of the plane, making a smooth parachute jump into the heart of the rebel camp. Speaking Spanish, he identified himself as a friend who had come to help. Chuck borrowed an AK-47 assault rifle from a soldier, went hunting, shot two huge wild boars and then cooked the beasts on wooden spits over a fire he built in a deep pit he had the soldiers dig in the ground. He then fed the hungry men and women and got the interview with Commander Zero that everyone in the world of news wanted.

Below are some of the key points from the interview I conducted with him:

“The arrival of global real-time television has replaced the fine line between diplomacy and warfare with a large gray zone where the wheels of societies can be bent without necessarily resorting to full-scale warfare.”

Chuck’s perception of the news media aligns with our classroom discussions surrounding the role of the ethnographer and the ethics of journalism. Chuck himself navigated this “gray zone” as a professional journalist and former Green Bourret. But inside what sounds like an articulate description of the shifting times, I believe, is a valid warning. As the gray zone grows and expands, society becomes more vulnerable to becoming “bent.” And to counter this, society must promote and prioritize non-partisan awareness (as well as coverage). We must also continually respect, question and check the media, as well as aim for inclusive participation of the public.

“Fluency in language is everything. You cannot rely on anyone but yourself to extract the truth.”

When Chuck found out that I was going to Nicaragua and did not speak Spanish, he was disappointed. Chuck is fluent in Spanish, and a true believer in the power of language and communication. I too share this same respect, and further acknowledge the power that language holds to bridge divides and as a tool of diplomacy. Language is power. And communication is the ultimate use of that power. Chuck fears that fewer people see the true power of language and are competent communicators, and therefore predicts that the already elusive truth will become that much harder to find.

“Out of everything, you will do while in Nicaragua, make sure you listen; it is a dying art.”

Although as a journalist Chuck experienced significant airtime as an interpreter of events, he claims that the most important thing he ever did for the world was to listen. He emphasized the difference between listening and hearing and warns of motive- and agenda-driven obstructions to listening. Chuck challenges each, and every one of us to listen in order to understand rather than to reply.