Zeina Khodr on Why Being Scared Can Keep You Alive

When I asked Zeina Khodr if she was keen to come on this podcast she said, ‘Yes! But we must do it soon. It’s quiet here now in Beirut, and the Middle East doesn’t stay quiet for long.'  And of course, Zeina was right. So two days later we recorded.

When it comes to foreign correspondents, Al Jazeera’s Emmy Award-nominated Zeina Khodr is at the top of the list. Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, wherever she is she’s a smart operator, a talented storyteller and she values integrity above it all. 

For Zeina, reporting from war zones is not just her job - it’s her life. A responsibility to be the voice for the voiceless, which, she tells me, is also her secret  to overcoming any nerves and a lack of confidence. ‘Make it about something bigger than yourself,' she says.

In this episode Zeina talks about calculating risks in war zones and why ego and laziness are a recipe for disaster.  Being with the first convoy of opposition fighters as they entered Tripoli and went on to storm Gaddafi's compound. And that day, surviving the deadly Beirut blast, which killed more than 200 people, while out with her three-year-old son and her mum.  

Follow Zeina Khodr on Twitter @ZeinakhodrAljaz.

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