Defend Truth
Don Pinnock
Don Pinnock is a Daily Maverick journalist specialising on environmental issues.
What I cover
I’m an investigative journalist, photographer and travel writer who, some time back, realised I knew little about the natural world. So I set out to discover it. This took me to five continents – including Antarctica – and resulted in six books on natural history and hundreds of articles. I have degrees in criminology, political science and African history. My focus with regards human-induced climate crisis is its impact on the living world and the fabric which connects it. Essentially biodiversity. We are losing wild rangelands, the ocean’s life systems and avian species. My core focus is animal/human interaction, welfare and the impact of issues like trophy hunting, range limitation, animal wellbeing and governance of wild biomes. What very often drives me is anger at the damage we do to the planet and its species. And compassion for those who do not have a voice. Where I can be, I am that voice.
My background
My career in journalism started when I was 23 and I’ve worked at a variety of new outfits since, including the SABC and Getaway magazine. I’ve written 17 books, including Gang Town, which won the City Press Tafelberg Non-Fiction award, Writing Left, a biography of the journalist Ruth First, and Rainmaker, a novel shortlisted for the 2009 European Union Literary Award.
Journalistic ethics
It is essential to be fair, accurate and sensitive. My primary ethics are towards care of nature and its defence.
