Journalist+Biography+-+Laura+Ling

Megan Linn Mr. Thompson Media Studies December 16, 2010 2nd Hour  Held in the Violent Wrath of North Korea  For five months she was held in the deadly reign of North Korea, with little chance for returning back to her home soil. She thought she was never going to see her husband again or be able to start a family. In March of 2009, Laura Ling and fellow journalist, Euna Lee, were put on assignment in China to report on human trafficking. They were visiting the border of China and North Korea, when an accidental step in the wrong direction led to their arrest. North Korean police arrested the two immediately after stepping onto North Korea’s territory. This wasn’t the first time Laura was put on assignment in a dangerous part of the world; she was known for her courageousness as a journalist. Following their capture, Laura and Euna were put into an isolated prison, with very minimal contact with the outside world until the unknown date of their trial.

 Laura Ling was born into a bicultural family from Carmichael, California on December 1, 1976. Her mother, Mary, is from Taiwan and her father, Doug, is a Chinese immigrant. When Laura was born, she joined her older sister Lisa. At age 4, Laura’s parents divorced. Following the split, the two sisters moved with their father to Sacramento, where they were raised. In 1998, Laura graduated with a communications degree from the University of California. By the time of her graduation, Laura’s older sister, Lisa, was becoming a successful journalist. Laura followed in her sister’s footsteps, her first job being a producer for Channel One News, where Lisa was a reporter ([|Biography of Laura Ling]).

 Laura’s first job was a huge stepping-stone for her. Following her producing job at Channel One, she went on to produce a documentary series for MTV. Following that producing gig, Al Gore’s Current TV, the career that sent her to China to report on human trafficking, hired her. As a reporter for Current TV, Laura reported on controversial and dangerous topics, including gangs in Los Angeles, the Mexican Drug War, and shantytowns In Sao Paulo, Brazil ([|Biography of Laura Ling] ). Her last duty as a reporter for Current TV was to report on the conditions of women from North Korea who were forced into human trafficking in China.

 March 17, 2009 is a day that Laura Ling can never forget- the day she was captured by North Korean border patrol for illegally crossing into North Korea. She and Euna Lee were put into isolated prisons and were harshly interrogated by officials. The same date is one Laura’s sister, Lisa, will also never forget. It was the day she got a call from Laura’s husband, Ian, who informed her that Laura was captured by North Korean border guards. Lisa contacted every person with power that she knew, trying to get the journalists released. Unfortunately, nothing worked; North Korea was not going to give in. In early August 2009, the two women were sentenced to 12 years in a hard labor prison, with no opportunity to appeal the decision. “While I tried to maintain hope throughout, there were absolutely times when I feared for my life, just because North Korea is cut off from the world and so unpredictable—especially in the first couple of days and then after the trial when we got the 12-year sentence of hard labor. While you do hold out hope, this isn’t a regular country…so it was incredibly frightening,” Laura told [|forbes.com]. This was basically a death sentence for the two journalists. At this point, former president Bill Clinton got involved. He was sent to North Korea to meet with the feared leader of the communist nation, Kim Jong-il, to convince him to release the Americans. Clinton was a miracle-worker for the two detained in the most dangerous country in the world; he got the two journalists released, without the exchange of money ([|Ling Sisters Recount Laura's Capture In North Korea]).

 A private charter jet returned Laura and Euna to the United States. It was an emotional return for all who were involved. “We were shocked, but now we know instantly in our hearts that the nightmare of our lives was finally coming to an end. Now we stand here, home and free,” reported Ling to [|National Public Radio], upon her return home. Laura and Euna’s medical condition upon returning home wasn’t the healthiest. Lisa reported that Laura was clearly exhausted and lost weight. However, her spirit was as high as ever. Laura’s first question after getting off the jet was, “What’s for dinner.” Lisa told [|National Public Radio] that, “[Laura] told us about getting rocks in her rice. Obviously, that country has economic problems. Laura and Euna were fortunate they were served meals regularly.”

 Laura is doing her best to live life as normally as possible after surviving in terrible circumstances. A short time after her return back to her family, Laura found out she and husband, Ian, were expecting a little one. Their first child was welcomed into the world on June 3, 2010. The couple named their daughter Li Jefferson Clayton, Li after Laura’s sister Lisa, and Jefferson after William Jefferson Clinton. Li was what Laura referred to as a miracle baby. While in captivity, she thought to herself, “I am never going to be able to start a family,” she revealed in an interview with [|People Magazine]. Laura and Lisa also released a book that the two co-wrote together, titled “Somewhere Inside: One Sister’s Captivity In North Korea and the Other’s Fight to Bring Her Home,” recounting their lives together and Laura’s time spent in captivity ([|Dahle]). In late 2010, Laura served as a host for the E! News Network as a host for an hour long documentary on teen suicides ([|Hudak]).

 Laura Ling is proof that bad things happen to innocent people. A simple accidental step lead to her captivity by the most dangerous communist country in the world, and she escaped with her life, despite major doubts during her five month stay in isolation. As a strong person would, Laura learned from her terrible situation, gaining a new perspective on life. She doesn’t take anything for granted, not even anything as simple as spending time with her family. Laura and her husband are raising their miracle baby, while Laura continues to report on issues that strike the United States the hardest. She is truly an inspiration to all.

Works Cited  “Biography of Laura Ling.” Incredible People. 15 December 2010 [|http://profiles.incredible-people.com/laura-ling/]

 Dahle, Stephanie. “The Freedom To Be A Mom: Laura Ling Speaks Out.” Forbes.com. 06 June 2010. 15 December 2010 [|http://www.forbes.com/2010/06/04/new- baby-laura-ling-li-jefferson-clayton-forbes-woman-power-bill-clinton_2.html]

 Hudak, Joseph. “Laura Ling Previews Her New Gig on E! Investigates.” TV Guide. 15 December 2010. 16 December 2010 [|http://www.tvguide.com/News/Laura- Ling-Investigates-1026790.aspx]

 “Ling Sisters Recount Laura’s Capture In North Korea.” National Public Radio. 19 May 2010. 16 December 2010 [|http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php? storyId=126613763]

 Wang, Cynthia. “Laura Ling Names New Baby for Her Sister and Bill Clinton.” People Magazine. 3 June 2010. 16 December 2010 []