When you take a step back and view this from a 30,000-foot perspective, I try to highlight the role of civilians in conflict. Officials, especially those in power controlling militaries or governments, often want to shape the narrative, to spin you to their story. But when you speak to civilians in the midst of war, they share more about the personal impact on their lives, and I think my audience and readers can connect more deeply with those voices.
Have you ever read Robert Greene's 48 Laws of Power? One of the laws is 'discover every man's thumbscrew,' which means that every person has something that matters deeply to them. I think you can approach this not from a negative perspective, but a positive one: to understand the 'good guys,' the 'bad guys,' and everyone in between. Why do they do what they do? As a journalist, the best way to uncover that is to listen—authentically.
I've learned that people exist on a spectrum, and that's something many observers don't like to acknowledge. But it's a reality across all the wars we cover, on all sides of every conflict. No one thinks exactly the same; some people hold very hawkish views on certain issues while being less so on others.
I want to set an example for this generation of war reporters, and for my generation as a whole, that you don't have to rely on drugs or alcohol to cope with traumatic experiences. Cold exposure, like an ice bath or cold shower, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, getting outside for a walk in the sun—ideally, a combination of all these things—can make a huge difference. You'd be surprised how your brain starts to adjust after just a few days, making you feel lighter, healthier, and more capable of handling whatever life throws at you.
I've always been interested in foreign coverage. When I first got into journalism as a student at American University, my goal was to change people's minds about others by helping them understand different perspectives. I didn't necessarily aim to make them feel one way or another, but rather to foster a sense of connection with people they might not know or might even disagree with.
I want to set an example for this generation of war reporters, and for my generation as a whole, that you don't have to rely on drugs or alcohol to cope with traumatic experiences.
My role isn't to support one side or another but to pursue truth through my work, giving people an authentic view of the complexities of war. It's not a black-and-white issue; the people involved are complex and exist on a spectrum, and I try to convey that in my reporting.
The goal is to make people care about the story, which is why our audience often engages deeply with our coverage. It's extensive, yet also personal, bringing the news directly into people's homes, into their living rooms, and bedrooms, in a way that helps them empathize with those we interview.
War Reporter Trey Yingst on Covering Global Conflict
In this interview I speak to Trey Yingst, one of the world’s most accomplished foreign correspondents & war...
Conflict, Peace & the Global Order
What 160 conversations with the world's leading thinkers reveal about war, peace, and geopolitics