Young journalists learn the secrets of war reporting from Alexander Sladkov

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As part of the Young Journalists School, a workshop was held on 3 April at the National Centre RUSSIA with reporter, military correspondent of VGTRK, recipient of two Orders of Courage and the Order of Honour, and special correspondent of the programme "Vesti", Alexander Sladkov. Participants had the opportunity to speak with a professional with 30 years of experience working in conflict zones.

"Some people look for adventure and pay for it, but journalism itself is an adventure. When it comes to working in war zones, it can be easier for a woman. Most of those fighting are men, so they may find it easier to trust a woman, to share something, to reveal details. And if she also knows what she wants to say in her report, such people are always respected — those who come prepared and know what they need to do," said Alexander Sladkov.

The speaker explained how military journalism has changed from the 1990s to the present day and outlined the key differences between a war correspondent and a regular reporter. Participants learned first-hand what it means to gather information and maintain objectivity in extreme conditions, as well as how to build trust with soldiers and local residents.

During the meeting, he spoke about his personal journey — from military service and his first steps at the newspaper Vremya (Time) and Radio Rossii (Radio Russia) to reporting from conflict zones and his transition to the Rossiya TV channel. He also reflected on the importance of specialised education for journalists and what can only be gained through experience. Alexander Sladkov shared stories from his long career, including assignments in Chechnya, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and other regions.

The war correspondent also shared key principles of professional discipline with the young journalists, particularly the importance of organising a working archive: "Keep everything you record on your phone — photos of friends, personal videos, important footage, even re-recorded documents. Store materials on hard drives: this kind of discipline will be useful in your work, even if you work in radio or television and photography is not your main format. Many correspondents neglect this — I think almost all of them do not keep their materials, and that is a mistake."

According to the expert, it is important to learn from an early age to identify children’s aptitudes for particular professions and take a more systematic approach to their development. He noted that the Young Journalists School is one of the elements of such a system.

"Projects like the Young Journalists School are especially important today. Young people need an entry point into the profession. If today we can detect illnesses in a child even before birth, why not also identify their aptitudes for a future profession? In sport, long muscle fibres are linked to endurance, while short fibres are linked to strength and explosive effort. A similar approach can be applied to other fields: some people are predisposed to journalism, others to aviation or other demanding professions. It is important to recognise this from childhood in order to guide a child’s development in the right direction. And this work is already underway. The Young Journalists School is one of the elements of this selection system," said Alexander Sladkov.

Participants actively asked questions, including how to maintain empathy in such a challenging profession, how to balance official broadcasting with a personal blog, which military habits helped in editorial work and which had to be abandoned. They were also interested in stories that remain "behind the scenes", the role of the team during difficult assignments, and the speaker’s dream of making a film in peacetime.

The multi-format project "Young Journalists School" was created to help teenagers acquire relevant professional skills and competencies, and to build a talent pool of future media professionals. It is implemented by the National Centre RUSSIA in cooperation with the Movement of the First, with the support of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.