Reporting from the frontline: a practical guide for correspondents in conflict zones

Parachute journalism has had its day. Increasingly, freelance reporters are stepping in to replace the traditional foreign correspondent, becoming de facto reporters where media outlets have chosen to abandon major investments. Some of them hold dual nationality, enabling them to move more easily across borders with multiple visas and passports. Others, as the recent events in Gaza demonstrate, are local reporters who once worked only as producers for major networks. In places where international media are barred from entering, paradoxically, these journalists gain significant professional recognition—often at the cost of their lives. This workshop will provide practical guidance on how to approach war reporting, applicable across multiple fronts: from risk assessment to PPE; from psychological grounding to working with sources; from digital security to the combined advantage of open-source methods and geolocation; from linguistic and cultural practices to knowledge of history and context; from choosing formats based on storytelling and safety criteria to the strategic use of social media. Above all stands a central principle: journalists must change their mindset, moving away from eurocentric and colonial approaches. The world has changed, and it is time to fully understand it.