How To Fail With Elizabeth Day

S17, Ep3 Alex Crawford: the legendary war correspondent on staying alive, motherhood and the resilience of hope

May 17, 2023

Legendary war correspondent Alex Crawford shares her experiences covering conflicts in Libya, Syria, and the Ukraine. She talks about being taken hostage in Afghanistan, the challenges of motherhood, and maintaining optimism amidst the manipulation of war. She discusses overcoming rejection, imposter syndrome, and the importance of trusting instincts. A candid conversation with a phenomenal journalist.

01:05:07

Episode guests

Alex Crawford

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The importance of trust and intuition in navigating dangerous environments while reporting on conflicts and war zones.

The challenges of balancing motherhood and a demanding career in journalism, including feelings of inadequacy and commitment to work.

The significance of preparation, quick decision-making, and adaptability in crisis situations for a foreign correspondent.

Deep dives

Learning from Failure

Alex Crawford, the special correspondent for Sky News, shares her experiences and insights on learning from failure, particularly in her 30-year career reporting on dangerous conflicts and war zones.

Introduction

2min

Uncovering Injustice and Calling Out Lies

6min

Conveying the Horror and Surreality of Libya's Arab Spring

13min

Perspectives on Optimism and Pessimism about Humanity

2min

Overcoming Rejection and Trusting Instincts

14min

Hostage in Afghanistan

16min

Feelings of Failing as a Mother

9min

If you've ever watched a television news dispatch from a warzone, the chances are you've seen Alex Crawford in a flak jacket and helmet, doing a piece to camera punctuated by the whistle of bullets. For 30 years, she has been the special correspondent for Sky News and has covered conflicts in Libya, Syria and the Ukraine. She has scooped multiple Baftas and Emmys for her work, as well as being the only journalist to have won the Royal Television Society’s Journalist of the Year Award five times.
Today, she joins me in an extraordinary interview to reveal how she does it. We talk about professional failures, imposter syndrome, what happened when she got taken hostage in Afghanistan, the challenge of keeping a sense of optimism about human nature and how she processes the trauma she witnesses. She talks frankly about being a mother-of-four and how this has led to her own personal conflicts while reporting on the global ones. And we discuss how ageism and sexism plays a part in how she's perceived in the notoriously fickle world of television.

I adored this conversation and I adored this woman. An absolute legend.

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How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com

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Social Media:

Elizabeth Day @elizabday

How To Fail @howtofailpod

Alex Crawford @alexcrawfordsky

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How To Fail With Elizabeth Day

S17, Ep3 Alex Crawford: the legendary war correspondent on staying alive, motherhood and the resilience of hope

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Learning from Failure

Dealing with Risk and Danger

Navigating Personal and Professional Challenges

Lessons Learned in Crisis Situations

Overcoming Rejection and Stereotypes

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts