Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell remembered as hard-charging NYC journalist



"Dogged" was also how Michael Cooper, a Times reporter now based in Albany, N.Y., described his former colleague. "When doing street reporting, she was always sure to ring the 10th doorbell, not just leave after a few," said Cooper, who worked with Campbell at NYPD headquarters. After the Times, Campbell worked for People magazine, Star magazine, Court TV and FoxNews.com. "She loved being a reporter," said Liz McNeil, East Coast news editor for People. "She was very dedicated and had a lot of compassion."

Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell remembered as hard-charging NYC journalist

Peace Corps volunteer remembered as hard-charging NYC journalist

By KAREN MATTHEWS
Associated Press Writer

April 18, 2007, 7:30 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- Julia Campbell was no stranger to adventurous exploits.

As a journalist in New York City, she was a tenacious reporter, at one point getting arrested covering the funeral procession of rapper Notorious B.I.G. One time, she cut short a date after coming across a crime scene so she could report on the story.

Her adventurous spirit later took her to the Philippines, where she abandoned the bustle of New York to work as a teacher and volunteer with the Peace Corps. It was there that her body was discovered Wednesday in a shallow grave, unearthed by a stray dog more than a week after she disappeared while hiking.

"She was a fearless reporter," said David Kocieniewski, a New York Times reporter now based in Trenton, N.J., who was bureau chief when Campbell was a full-time freelancer for the Times at New York City police headquarters. "She was intelligent, incredibly hardworking and had the capacity both to ask intellectually tough questions and to be sensitive to the people we were writing about."

Journalists who worked with Campbell during the years she spent freelancing for The New York Times, Court TV and other news organizations remembered her generosity and her courage.

Police in the Philippines at first thought the 40-year-old might have fallen off a cliff while hiking alone in Ifugao province north of Manila. But after her body was found in a shallow grave, Senior Superintendent Pedro Ganir of the Ifugao provincial police told The Associated Press, "This is no longer an accident." The death was under investigation.

"I'm absolutely jolted," said Bill Hoffmann, a columnist for the New York Post's Page Six gossip section who dated Campbell briefly. "I remember her as not having a mean bone in her body. She was a real sweetheart, and yet she was deceptive _ she was very dogged and determined like a bulldog."

Hoffmann said he and Campbell were out on a date once when they happened on a crime scene. A gunman was loose and police had blocked off a section of Sixth Avenue in Manhattan. Campbell immediately called the Times newsroom and started working the story.

"Dogged" was also how Michael Cooper, a Times reporter now based in Albany, N.Y., described his former colleague.

"When doing street reporting, she was always sure to ring the 10th doorbell, not just leave after a few," said Cooper, who worked with Campbell at NYPD headquarters.

After the Times, Campbell worked for People magazine, Star magazine, Court TV and FoxNews.com.

"She loved being a reporter," said Liz McNeil, East Coast news editor for People. "She was very dedicated and had a lot of compassion."

Campbell made headlines in 1997 during her stint at the Times when she was arrested covering the funeral procession of rap star Christopher Wallace, also known as Notorious B.I.G.

The procession turned unruly and Campbell got in a shouting match with police, who had her handcuffed and dragged away. According to the police report, Campbell called one officer "a bastard."

The Times protested the arrest, though metro editor Michael Oreskes acknowledged that Campbell's "use of harsh language was not appropriate." Disorderly conduct charges were eventually dropped.

Campbell wrote in her Internet blog that "At the age of 38, I decided to step out of the rat race of New York, join the Peace Corps and board a plane for Manila."

In the Philippines, she worked at a high school where she helped restock the library, began an ecology awareness campaign and taught English at a small Catholic college in Legazpi city southeast of Manila.

Last November she weathered supertyphoon Durian, which killed more than 1,000 people as it slammed into Legazpi and sent tons of debris cascading down Mayon volcano.

"For a few minutes there, as the flood waters rushed inside my little apartment on Marquez Street, I wondered, 'Is this the way it's going to be?' I'll drown right here inside my tiny apartment far away from my family and friends?" she wrote in her blog.

At the time of her death, Campbell was weeks short of completing her two-year commitment to the Peace Corps.

"It's hard to believe that I have only a seven months to go," she wrote in an October blog entry, before the typhoon struck. "It's been a rough road and I am hoping to finish but I would be lying if I did not say that everyday is a struggle. ... But seven months is just seven months ... Time will hopefully fly quickly.

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: April, 2007; Peace Corps Philippines; Directory of Philippines RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Philippines RPCVs; Safety and Security of Volunteers; Journalism; Crime

When this story was posted in April 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:




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March 14, 2007: This Month's Top Stories Evacuated PCVs attend Festival on the Niger in Mali 23 Feb Tom Bissell tells the story of how Vietnam came home 13 Mar Mike Honda cites Japan's Sex Slavery 8 Mar Donna Shalala co-chairs presidential commission 7 Mar Sixth Anniversary of Disappearance of PCV Walter Poirier 6 Mar Sam Farr was de-selected during Peace Corps Training 6 Mar Elaine Jones would be good fit for NAACP President 6 Mar Pat Waak re-elected chairwoman of Colorado Dems 5 Mar Astronaut Mae Jemison was PC Medical Officer 4 Mar Guy Consolmagno blends faith and science 3 Mar Doyle Turns Down Federal Abstinence Money 3 Mar Owen Cylke writes: Taxi in the Rain 2 Mar Jody Olsen receives "Founder’s Day" Award 2 Mar Chris Dodd introduces PCV Empowerment Act 1 Mar Michael O'Hanlon writes: Iraq Deserves One More Chance 1 Mar An Excerpt from Jan Worth's Night Blind 28 Feb David Harde sentenced for Medical Marijuana 28 Feb Oscar winner Helen Mirren congratulated by RPCV husband 26 Feb RPCVs distribute mosquito nets 25 Feb Peter McPherson new Chairman of Dow Jones 21 Feb Arabic speakers under-utilized in Homeland Security 9 Feb Dr. J. Michael Taylor co- founded Konbit Sante 4 Feb

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February 23, 2007: This Month's Top Stories Hill announces Draft Accord in North Korea Nuclear Talks 12 Feb Dodd builds connections in New Hampshire 19 Feb PCVs accused of counterinsurgency activities 19 Feb Harris Wofford declares support for Obama 18 Feb Tschetter becomes the first Director to visit Malawi 16 Feb New Fellows Program at Yale University 15 Feb Sidney Slover helps start donut production in Honduras 16 Feb Kevin O'Donnell's Daughter and Granddaughter are PCVs 14 Feb Joe Krueger helps restore Liberia's timber industry 14 Feb Peace Corps Hippies 13 Feb Maryland RPCVs to screen "American Idealist" on March 3 9 Feb Aaron Kase writes: Moon over Africa 8 Feb Margaret Krome writes: 'Rogue nations' aren't only threat 8 Feb Shays says he would Support McCain 8 Feb A Mistrial for Lieut. Watada 8 Feb Chris Matthews drops the F-bomb 8 Feb RPCVs - Believe it or not 07 Feb White House requests $334 Million for Peace Corps 5 Feb Carol Bellamy writes: We need an Earth Corps 3 Feb First Group of PCVs arrive in Cambodia 2 Feb Mae Jemison wears red for charity 2 Feb Dear Miss Lonelyhearts 30 Jan

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The Peace Corps Library The Peace Corps Library is now available online with over 40,000 index entries in 500 categories. Looking for a Returned Volunteer? Check our RPCV Directory or leave a message on our Bulletin Board. New: Sign up to receive our free Monthly Magazine by email, research the History of the Peace Corps, or sign up for a daily news summary of Peace Corps stories. FAQ: Visit our FAQ for more information about PCOL.

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Chris Dodd's Vision for the Peace Corps Senator Chris Dodd (RPCV Dominican Republic) spoke at the ceremony for this year's Shriver Award and elaborated on issues he raised at Ron Tschetter's hearings. Dodd plans to introduce legislation that may include: setting aside a portion of Peace Corps' budget as seed money for demonstration projects and third goal activities (after adjusting the annual budget upward to accommodate the added expense), more volunteer input into Peace Corps operations, removing medical, healthcare and tax impediments that discourage older volunteers, providing more transparency in the medical screening and appeals process, a more comprehensive health safety net for recently-returned volunteers, and authorizing volunteers to accept, under certain circumstances, private donations to support their development projects. He plans to circulate draft legislation for review to members of the Peace Corps community and welcomes RPCV comments.

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He served with honor One year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor.

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Meet Ron Tschetter - Our Next Director Read our story about Ron Tschetter's confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that was carried on C-Span. It was very different from the Vasquez hearings in 2001, very cut and dried with low attendance by the public. Among the highlights, Tschetter intends to make recruitment of baby boomers a priority, there are 20 countries under consideration for future programs, Senator Dodd intends to re-introduce his third goal Peace Corps legislation this session, Tschetter is a great admirer of Senator Coleman's quest for accountability, Dodd thinks management at PC may not put volunteers first, Dodd wants Tschetter to look into problems in medical selection, and Tschetter is not a blogger and knows little about the internet or guidelines for volunteer blogs. Read our recap of the hearings as well as Senator Coleman's statement and Tschetter's statement.

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Peace Corps' Screening and Medical Clearance The purpose of Peace Corps' screening and medical clearance process is to ensure safe accommodation for applicants and minimize undue risk exposure for volunteers to allow PCVS to complete their service without compromising their entry health status. To further these goals, PCOL has obtained a copy of the Peace Corps Screening Guidelines Manual through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and has posted it in the "Peace Corps Library." Applicants and Medical Professionals (especially those who have already served as volunteers) are urged to review the guidelines and leave their comments and suggestions. Then read the story of one RPCV's journey through medical screening and his suggestions for changes to the process.

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The Peace Corps is "fashionable" again The LA Times says that "the Peace Corps is booming again and "It's hard to know exactly what's behind the resurgence." PCOL Comment: Since the founding of the Peace Corps 45 years ago, Americans have answered Kennedy's call: "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." Over 182,000 have served. Another 200,000 have applied and been unable to serve because of lack of Congressional funding. The Peace Corps has never gone out of fashion. It's Congress that hasn't been keeping pace.

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PCOL readership increases 100% Monthly readership on "Peace Corps Online" has increased in the past twelve months to 350,000 visitors - over eleven thousand every day - a 100% increase since this time last year. Thanks again, RPCVs and Friends of the Peace Corps, for making PCOL your source of information for the Peace Corps community. And thanks for supporting the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come.

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History of the Peace Corps PCOL is proud to announce that Phase One of the "History of the Peace Corps" is now available online. This installment includes over 5,000 pages of primary source documents from the archives of the Peace Corps including every issue of "Peace Corps News," "Peace Corps Times," "Peace Corps Volunteer," "Action Update," and every annual report of the Peace Corps to Congress since 1961. "Ask Not" is an ongoing project. Read how you can help.

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