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Tribute to Mike Mason
Emma Hurd, Sky News
February 16, 2010

They are the unsung heroes of Sky's foreign news coverage - the local fixers without whom many of our stories would never make it to the screen.

This is a tribute to one of those fixers, a remarkable man called Mike Mason, our fixer in Zimbabwe, who has died suddenly at the age of 49.

Mike repeatedly risked his own safety to help us report from Mugabe's Zimbabwe at a time when all western journalists were banned, writes Sky News Africa correspondent Emma Hurd.

He was determined to help us show what was happening to his country as the President tried to keep the eyes of the world away.

Mike was a former white farmer who was kicked off his land by Mugabe's henchmen. But his primary concern was not the fate of his fellow farmers but the plight of the majority black population facing hunger and persecution.

Through his contacts, and thanks to his courage, we were able to tell their stories through the violence of the 2008 election and beyond.

When we couldn't risk filming publicly in a country where we faced jail if we were caught, Mike would film for us.

He brought us some of the most striking images of the disputed election - pictures of the opposition MDC supporters who had been beaten by Zanu PF thugs.

He combined the role of cameraman with paramedic, loading the injured into his car to take them to a safe place for treatment.

In February 2009 I accepted an award from the Royal Television Society on behalf of all the men and women who worked with the foreign media in Zimbabwe.

It was long overdue recognition of those, like Mike, who have been so crucial in helping us to cover one of the most important stories in Africa. They are our eyes and ears in a country where telling the truth still has consequences.

Despite the supposed lifting of reporting restrictions a newspaper publisher was arrested just last week for printing an article Mugabe's regime didn't like.

Mike never sought a career in journalism and he wasn't interested in glory or recognition for his work. He was just a man who loved his country and believed that the story should be told.

His friendship, humour and infectious joy for life, despite all of its adversities, will be much missed.

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