Conflict in the social media age, with Alex Crawford, Christina Lamb, Lindsey Hilsum, Shayan Sardarizade, Dina Matar and Florian Zollman
War reporting is being reshaped in real time. From Ukraine and Gaza to Iran and Lebanon, conflicts are no longer covered solely by foreign correspondents filing dispatches for newspapers and broadcasters. Instead, war is now experienced through a constant stream of social media posts, viral videos and competing narratives circulating on platforms such as TikTok, Telegram and X (Twitter).
This new environment offers opportunities: faster access to eyewitness accounts, new storytelling formats and broader global reach. But it also presents serious challenges. Journalists must navigate propaganda, misinformation and information warfare, often while reporting from dangerous and fast-moving situations. Questions of verification, ethics and responsibility are more pressing than ever, while the role of the professional war correspondent is being redefined.
Our panel of experts for this free 90-minute online discussion will explore how war reporting is changing, and what it means for journalists and students who may want to pursue careers covering conflict.
Lindsey Hilsum is international editor at Channel 4 News and one of the UK’s most respected war correspondents, with decades of experience reporting from conflicts around the world, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Kosovo, Rwanda, Ukraine and Lebanon.
Christina Lamb is chief foreign correspondent at The Sunday Times. An award-winning journalist and bestselling author, she has reported on major global conflicts for more than 30 years, from Pakistan and Afghanistan to the Middle East and Ukraine.
Alex Crawford is special correspondent at Sky News, renowned for her frontline reporting from conflict zones including Libya, Syria, Ukraine and Lebanon, often delivering powerful eyewitness accounts from the heart of events.
Shayan Sardarizadeh is a senior journalist at BBC Verify, specialising in the verification of online content and the analysis of misinformation and propaganda circulating during global news events.
Dina Matar is professor of political communication and Arab media at SOAS University of London. Her research focuses on media, conflict and political communication in the Middle East, with particular expertise in narratives, representation and power.
Florian Zollmann is senior lecturer in journalism at Newcastle University. His research examines media, propaganda and foreign policy, with a particular focus on how news organisations report conflict and the influence of power on journalism.
This online discussion panel on Wednesday 29th April from 4pm to 5.30pm (UK time) is brought to you by the Civic Journalism Lab at Newcastle University. It’s free and open to anyone, but registration is essential as we’ll email you joining instructions a few hours before the event begins.
Conflict in the social media age, with Alex Crawford, Christina Lamb, Lindsey Hilsum, Shayan Sardarizade, Dina Matar and Florian Zollman
War reporting is being reshaped in real time. From Ukraine and Gaza to Iran and Lebanon, conflicts are no longer covered solely by foreign correspondents filing dispatches for newspapers and broadcasters. Instead, war is now experienced through a constant stream of social media posts, viral videos and competing narratives circulating on platforms such as TikTok, Telegram and X (Twitter).
This new environment offers opportunities: faster access to eyewitness accounts, new storytelling formats and broader global reach. But it also presents serious challenges. Journalists must navigate propaganda, misinformation and information warfare, often while reporting from dangerous and fast-moving situations. Questions of verification, ethics and responsibility are more pressing than ever, while the role of the professional war correspondent is being redefined.
Our panel of experts for this free 90-minute online discussion will explore how war reporting is changing, and what it means for journalists and students who may want to pursue careers covering conflict.
Lindsey Hilsum is international editor at Channel 4 News and one of the UK’s most respected war correspondents, with decades of experience reporting from conflicts around the world, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Kosovo, Rwanda, Ukraine and Lebanon.
Christina Lamb is chief foreign correspondent at The Sunday Times. An award-winning journalist and bestselling author, she has reported on major global conflicts for more than 30 years, from Pakistan and Afghanistan to the Middle East and Ukraine.
Alex Crawford is special correspondent at Sky News, renowned for her frontline reporting from conflict zones including Libya, Syria, Ukraine and Lebanon, often delivering powerful eyewitness accounts from the heart of events.
Shayan Sardarizadeh is a senior journalist at BBC Verify, specialising in the verification of online content and the analysis of misinformation and propaganda circulating during global news events.
Dina Matar is professor of political communication and Arab media at SOAS University of London. Her research focuses on media, conflict and political communication in the Middle East, with particular expertise in narratives, representation and power.
Florian Zollmann is senior lecturer in journalism at Newcastle University. His research examines media, propaganda and foreign policy, with a particular focus on how news organisations report conflict and the influence of power on journalism.
This online discussion panel on Wednesday 29th April from 4pm to 5.30pm (UK time) is brought to you by the Civic Journalism Lab at Newcastle University. It’s free and open to anyone, but registration is essential as we’ll email you joining instructions a few hours before the event begins.
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Highlights
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- Online