Farewell from Robert Collier

I have worked at the Chronicle for 16 years, most of that time as a reporter covering foreign affairs. International news is not just my job but my fascination and obsession, so these have been wonderful times. I’ve been able to travel extensively, crawl around jungles, sit in Baghdad waiting for the bombs to arrive, and attempt a rather unique style of foreign news coverage. While there have been some disagreements in the crafting of that strategy, I strongly feel that the world does indeed matter and that we must adventure beyond the Washington-New York policy mindset to cover it.

I’m leaving the newspaper at time when most media are reducing their foreign news coverage, so my departure is with both relief and sorrow. The usual clichés truly do apply here — I’ve had the privilege of working with some immensely talented people, some of whom are still at the paper, and I wish them continued courage and inspiration. It truly is a noble calling, and although we newspaper scribes certainly would be materially richer if we had chosen another profession, we would be intellectually and spiritually poorer.

I’m off to UC Berkeley, where I will be visiting scholar at the Goldman School of Public Policy, focusing on the politics of global warming. I’ll be starting a campuswide blog, doing freelance writing, and writing a book on China and global warming for UC Press. Please stay in touch! My personal email is: collierrobert@yahoo.com.