Deborah Campbell is an award-winning journalist who has reported from Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Dubai, Jordan, Egypt, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The author of This Heated Place, a narrative journey inside the Israel-Palestine conflict, she has written for Harper’s, The Economist, the Guardian, Ms., New Scientist, Asia Times, The Walrus, Adbusters and numerous other publications in North America, Europe and Asia. Her radio documentaries on international affairs have aired on CBC and NPR. An adjunct professor of narrative nonfiction at the University of British Columbia, she is known for “immersive” journalism and recently spent several months living
with Iraqi refugees in Syria.

Many aspiring journalists who wish to become foreign correspondents are advised to start at a local publication, work up to the national level, and wait to be singled out for that plum overseas assignment. The downside to this approach is that it takes years, if it materializes at all, and that your journalism experience may be confined to a narrow local beat that doesn’t prepare you to cover your preferred subject matter. This lecture offers practical advice on creating an international reporting career from Deborah Campbell’s extensive experience working as an independent journalist in the Middle East.

Ìâåá What do you need to know before heading into a foreign country or conflict zone?

Ìâåá What obstacles will present themselves and what preparations can limit safety concerns and enhance the marketability of projects?

Ìâåá How do you immerse yourself in a foreign culture and access local sources?

Ìâåá Do you need to work for a major news agency in order to cover and sell compelling stories?

This lecture will be valuable to anyone interested in working as a foreign correspondent, particularly in challenging parts of the world.