Dmitry Radchenko, a war correspondent, visited NCFU to talk about one of the most dangerous jobs.

Dmitry is a journalist writing for the RIA Novosti news agency, and his experience in more than long. He has been one of those covering the current special military operation from Day 1, and a large share of his coverage gets on top of news portals.

While talking to NCFU students, Dmitry gave them some ideas as to how to overcome fear, how not to fall prey to fake news, and – the most important thing – shared some thoughts about how to be successful in this job and maintain reputation intact.

One of the most frequently used word through the entire meeting was trust, which, as Dmitry noted, can be used in different ways, so any piece of info has to be checked twice.

– And still, if I do realize that I will not need some information and that will never get on top of news, then I will offer it to my colleagues. This is just me – I will never ask for help but will never refuse to offer a helping hand. Journalism depends on honesty a lot but it will take time to get to it, – Dmitry Radchenko was quoted as saying.

Another issue – which were numerous, of course – was safety, and this is where Dmitry could say one thing only: “Your safety is nobody else’ but yours”.

– A war correspondent is an unarmed man. Just to feel on the safe side I do have a pepper spray in my car yet I never take it with me because it is just useless. To be allowed to the military activity area is hard and it will take some special training. Each war correspondent has a military person attached to them. And again, we are talking here about trust and due diligence at your workplace. Everyone should think first there, take care of themselves and save themselves if needed. Fast decision-making may be crucial, – Dmitry shared.

Students, in turn, had lots of questions, and the entire event was definitely concluded before all the questions had been asked and answered. But this is the point – to learn and want to learn more.

Another speaker at the event was Valery Buksha – Dmitry’s colleague and friend, a military painter whose works can be seen at NCFU – told even more about what people typically need in case of military activities, and what others can do to support those risking their lives.