War correspondent Hollie McKay takes us inside Afghanistan during and after the fall of Afghanistan in 2021, where she was reporting on the ground with little to no safety net.

We dig into what life is like for frontline reporters, how life as a conflict journalist can be complicated, and the ethical and safety calculus of reporting in active conflict zones like Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, and Myanmar. McKay also talks about the long lasting effects of human atrocities in places closer to home, like Mexico.

Hollie McKay is an award-winning war reporter and author of “Only Cry for the Living: Memos from Inside the ISIS Battlefield” and other books. She has reported all over the world, from Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, and Ukraine to Myanmar and Mexico with a focus on civilians, accountability, and ground truth.

• Follow Hollie’s work on Substack: https://holliesmckay.substack.com/ 

• Buy Hollie’s book “Only Cry for the Living: Memos from Inside the ISIS Battlefield”: https://a.co/d/hx8N8Bu 

• Buy Hollie’s book “Afghanistan: The End of the US Footprint and the Rise of the Taliban Rule”: https://a.co/d/iwhfGMo 

New here? Welcome to Subject Matter Expert, hosted by Marty Skovlund Jr., featuring top experts across diverse and relevant fields without regard to political bias. If you're looking for an echo chamber, this isn't it! 

In each episode, Marty dives deep into high-impact topics with guests who have been there, done that, offering nuanced insights and practical takeaways, while highlighting their unique stories, knowledge, and experiences.

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