For the last five years, Popular Front has been shaking up the way many of us view reporting from conflict zones. It gives its followers an up-close-and-personal view, going inside globally reported stories like Hong Kong’s 2019 umbrella protests and narco-militias in Mexico, as well as lesser-known battlegrounds like the illicit 3D printing of firearms in Europe. Jake Hanrahan, its founder, came into journalism with no formal training during VICE’s heyday, and quickly became a correspondent covering conflict in Kurdistan, Ukraine, and elsewhere. This week on Whale Hunting, Bradley Hope chats to Jake about his unconventional path into journalism, and what led him to set up a grassroots war reporting organization. They also discuss the delicate balancing act of gaining access to stories while remaining authentic, the challenges of making independent media on a shoestring, and why Jake doesn’t care about scoops.

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