What are the most important qualities for a successful war correspondent?

Going with one or two points that Susan Katz Keating mentions, I also highly recommend getting emergency first aid or First Person On Scene (FPOS) or Tactical/Combat first aid type training; as well as Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT) which can include first aid training. Situational Awareness and Predictive Profiling training can help too.

Presumably I got this because of my work in Ukraine. I would say that the most important quality is to stay unhurt, it is very easy to do something which could get you injured such as failing to be aware of your surroundings and doing something mundane like nipping out to urinate in the forest. One needs to be able to talk to the locals in their own language and show empathy with them. In my opinion, the best service I could do is to them, the victims of war, to show them that they are not alone and forgotten and to promise them that I would tell others of what the enemy was doing.

- Be fearless but not foolish. - Understand and learn as many aspects as possible related to (modern) warfare (and terrorism), the history of war and the psychology of war. - Understand the situation. - Have situational awareness. - Have predictive profiling skills. - Know when you're being duped, lied to or misled. - Think forensically. - It's useful to have skills in identifying weapon systems and their origins. - Complacency is the enemy. - Naivete is an enemy. - Never assume invincibility. - Balance objectivity and subjectivity. - Be truthful. - Try not to make a war report about you being in a war. It's unsavoury. It's one reason why many do not like war correspondents. - Have a strong stomach. I'm sure I am missing something.

I have a strong sense of curiosity and a willingness to learn, but @linkedin, why did you consider me as an expert in journalism?

You should be entirely open to the views of local people, and conscious of their feelings that they are often misrepresented in the media. If they don't like it, you did not do a good job!

absolutely no AI absolutely no AI absolutely no AI absolutely no AI absolutely no AI absolutely no AI absolutely no AI absolutely no AI

To be a successful war correspondent one needs to be: 1)impartial - neutral and independent - providing unbiased, factual coverage. 2)able to recognise 'propaganda' for what it is. 3)able to interpret data from the conflict zone e.g. radar data that would determine where a munition was launched from. Helping to verify claims of responsibility. 4)know when to get out of harms way. Risk assessment. 5)able to give the viewers a 'picture' of the day-to-day conflict through sound and vision. 6)boundaries - respect for the victims of war and combatants. Not getting in the way of anybody or reporting unsavoury aspects of war in too much detail. The audience need an overview not lurid details. Above all a balanced approach Thank you

Compassion, empathy, courage, curiosity, resilience, a profound understanding of the conflict (and the "other side") and above all - HUMILITY

I have some skill and creativity to produce compelling and accurate stories as showed by my StackExchange RolePlaying account, but I don't understand why @linkedin recommand a software engineer to write about journalism.

Every job requires elements of particular skills. Primarily in journalism are the skills of observation, investigation and recording of facts. The ability to write grammatically correct content is quite helpful. :)

Having skills in first aid can not only help the people the correspondents are with but it might just save their own lives someday.

I think that is hard to achieve because the firms that these reporters work for are always biased. In the current Israel-Gaza war, for instance, Western media want to stand with Israel at all costs while Eastern European and Middle Eastern media stand squarely with Hamas and its sympathisers

Empathy is a critical value, especially the ability to listen to and understand all of the parties in the conflict. War is one of the most human of endeavors; ranging the full spectrum from ugly acts of atrocity to beautiful, selfless acts of heroism. A correspondent who can be open and receptive to the full breadth of the human character will be able to discern the truth through the fog of war.

Cultural sensitivity, language skills, and a commitment to journalistic integrity ensure effective reporting while respecting local customs. Resourcefulness, networking, technology proficiency, and empathy are additional skills that facilitate accurate and compelling storytelling. Risk assessment and legal knowledge are crucial for personal safety and compliance with reporting guidelines, and independence from political or military groups upholds the principles of unbiased journalism.

Knowledge for a long time of the specific area, living there, have lived there. Not just flying in with a history elsewhere. Pretty words not applicable, people die there, get real. Stamina, stoicism, diplomacy, a strong immune system, a good memory as you may lose your notebooks or computer. Tolerance, flexibility, control of anger, control of inner depression, etc. A lot of qualities are needed. The same as for the tragedies of the residents and citizens caught up in the war zone.

War is harsh and horrifying challenging every level of a correspondents humanity and ability to remain neutral. Be passionate in culling truth from hearsay, never rely on "So & So said", verify everything. Be committed in following a story from inception to a clear and factual conclusion.

the justice eye the peace hands god's mouth and voice the truth ears. Jesus confidence and faith that you can stop this pain fix this anything with the power of your day

Everything has a context. Events on the ground are subject to random and subjective interpretation, very often sensationalist in its nature, unless the reporter is actually knowledgeable of the history, culture and traditions in the area. As such if a reporter has not visited the location regularly before, he/she is unlikely do any good reporting. No matter how qualified as a reporter in general.

I initially assumed this was spam. Maybe you got the wrong guy? I was not, and am not a war correspondent. I fought a war. I was a US Marine in Iraq. I was naive-believed in the cause from 2006-2010. Then it was over. I would have let it all go had I not gone back in 2015, and saw that we gave it all away. I was drowning in anger and frustration. I needed an outlet. I needed Catharsis. So I started to write and somehow managed to get published. That still bewilders me. My thoughts- be ruthlessly truthful, even when it challenges moral or political pre-conceived thought models. Being in a war is the worst thing ever. Period. Humanity dies. Savagery is born. Hate and fear are all that beats the heart. Tell them, so that they never forget. NLH

Their empathy and cultural sensitivity enable them to connect with the people they encounter, extracting profound human stories from the chaos of battle. And the tenacity to uphold journalistic integrity, even when faced with extreme challenges, is what truly sets them apart. In this demanding and often perilous role, war correspondents act as the world's eyes and ears in conflict zones, revealing the human cost of war and the need for accountability and peace.

In my opinion try to stay emotionally detached and stay neutral, whatever horrors you might come across. Certainly not easy !!

Awareness of your impact, positive (reporting the “truth” not just “official” statements from either side) or negative (over-reporting can be desensitising for the audience). Remember that in the Vietnam War US TV audiences hung on every word from Walter Cronkite who, for a most of his coverage of the conflict remained positive about America’s chances of victory - it wasn’t until he reported from actual combat scenes, saw the effects on the non-combatants as well as on the American servicemen, that he started reporting what he was told by military authorities but also what he saw and what he felt from his experiences. In the end he reported that he didn’t believe the US could win and that turned the tide of public support for the war.