A Chat with War Photographer Lynsey Addario

Lynsey Addario is an American photojournalist who’s well known for her work on the front lines of conflict and human rights issues. In this 8-minute video interview, VICE sat down with Addario and talked to her about everything from life and death to journalistic truth.

“Not many people are kidnapped twice in conflict zones, awarded a MacArthur Genius Grant and have Jennifer Lawrence playing them in their biopic…But, nobody else is Lynsey Addario,” writes VICE.

Addario says she first became a conflict journalist due to curiosity. After reading about the situation of women living under the Taliban in Afghanistan, Addario borrowed some money from her sister, made some arrangements with the UN and local NGOs, and went to the country in 1996 to find out if things were as bad as people in the West thought they were.

Since then, Addario has done assignments for publications such as the New York Times, Time, Newsweek, and National Geographic, covering everything from wars and refugees to the subject of maternal mortality in developing countries.

“The stereotype is that war photographers are really hardened and jaded,” Addario says, “and I think what I’ve learned about myself over the years, over the last 17 years, is that I have become anything but jaded — I’ve become, in fact, more emotional. […]

“People always say to me ‘you’re so brave’ or ‘you’re fearless’, and for me personally I feel the opposite. The people I cover are brave because they don’t have a choice, but I choose to go there.”

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