James Janega on
The Life of a War Reporter
in Iraq and Afghanistan
Tuesday, October 5, 5:30-8:30pm
19 South Wabash, 2d floor

Cocktails at 5:30, presentation 6:00-6:30 followed by discussion.
$40 includes drinks, two cigars, and sandwiches.  Jacket and tie recommended.  Members and their guests are invited.  Reservations are required.

James Janega will talk about his experiences as a war correspondent for the Chicago Tribune in Iraq and Afghanistan, and narrate some vivid photographs and videos.  From 2003 until 2009 he reported from Iraq, Afghanistan and the Gulf Coast. For the Tribune, he covered the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the 2004 battle for Fallujah, and the troop surge in 2007. In Afghanistan, he covered the Illinois National Guard as they advised the Afghan national police and army.

He is currently a staff reporter in the Chicagoland section of the Chicago Tribune. He has reported from the Gulf Coast, the Midwest and the Middle East. In the past he has been the Trib Nation manager at the Chicago Tribune, a reporter and editor at the City News Bureau, and a freelance correspondent for the DeKalb Daily Chronicle.  He has degrees from the University of Illinois Springfield (MA, Public Affairs Reporting), Northern Illinois University (BS, Journalism, Music) and is a graduate of New Trier High School.

He is the author of two books: Chicago Lives: Men and Woman Who Shaped Our City, and The Idiot's Guide to Surviving Iraq. About the latter: "Iraq is a one of the most dangerous places in the world—yet journalists, private contractors, and soldiers still must travel there. This book has everything visitors need to know to get by, including all aspects of security, picking a translator, traffic, bribery, eating, the weather, who’s in charge, important government acronyms, hotels and buying and renting houses, transportation and traffic, and much more."

Mr. Janega lives with his family in Chicago.