Dalton Bennett is a video reporter for The Washington Post. He previously worked for The Associated Press in Dubai, Kyrgyzstan and Greece, and has reported from many other countries around the world. In 2017, he was awarded the Edward R. Murrow award for investigative reporting for his work on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. Bennett has covered major stories including the 2016 Presidential election; Libyan civil war; the Eurozone Crisis; the Westgate Mall Attacks in Nairobi, Kenya; Typhoon Haiyan; the Gaza War; Unrest in Ukraine; the Russian invasion of Crimea; and the fall of Mosul.
Hometown: Stafford, Virginia.
Education: I studied political science at the College of William and Mary. I never intended to be a reporter.
Languages you speak: I’m conversational in Russian and rusty in Spanish.
First job in journalism: I was a photo and video stringer for The Associated Press in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. I got my big break in early 2011 with the Arab Spring when the AP sent me to Benghazi after the rebels prevented a Moscow-based crew from entering the country, with few options and a rapidly developing story. I was basically the last man standing. I cut my teeth in Libya spending over six months with rebel fighters.
Countries reported from: Iraq, Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Egypt, Ukraine, Russia, Kenya, UAE, Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Macedonia, Germany, Turkmenistan, and at least a dozen other places across Europe and Asia.
Year you joined the OPC: 2015
How did you become interested in Berlin? Berlin is a fascinating and dynamic city and I had the opportunity while with the AP to work out of the bureau. After being on the road, returning to Germany was a great way to find inspiration for your next story.
Major challenge as a journalist: Telling a story that truly connects with an audience is both the greatest challenge and reward of the profession. The nature of our profession requires us to stay ahead of evolving storytelling tools which can make or break a story. Finally finding inspiration, stoking one’s curiosity is a constant battle.
Best journalism advice received: Work harder.
Worst experience as a journalist: I’ve lost a few friends on the job. This is an unfortunately reality of covering conflict that many others in the profession have also had to cope with.
Hardest story: In February 2015, I walked 120 miles with a group of 45 migrants from the border of Greece to Serbia, a journey that would foreshadow the massive numbers we’d see arriving later in the year. While at the AP, we documented the migrants journey from Thessaloniki to France and Germany. At that time the flow of migrants was still a trickle and if caught, the Macedonian police would deport the weary travelers back to Evzoni where they would inevitably repeat their journey. Sleeping in the rough in both rain and snow was physically and mentally taxing. Avoiding detection by locals during the day and marching all night was physically and psychologically exhausting. After being caught by authorities and forced back to the Greek border, the same group, including two toddlers, managed to cross into Macedonia a second time only to be hit by a train as they fought off bandits.
Journalism heroes: C.J. Chivers, Jeremy Bowen, Darren Conway and the all the reporters, field producers, and photographers who took me under their wing during my time at the AP. The list is long but includes Sergey Pomonorev, David Guttenfelder, Edmund Brown, Tomislav Skaro, and at least a dozen others. Finally I’d include the fixers I’ve worked with over the years in conflict zones. They’re the unsung heroes of reporting.
Advice for journalists who want to work overseas: Stay focused, humble and mindful of what motivates you have as a reporter. Hard work and dedication do pay off but don’t expect to end up with your dream job overnight. Seek advice and guidance from old hands. Finally, you’re not the story and don’t expect to be.
Dream job: My current job as a video reporter for my hometown newspaper The Washington Post.
Most over-the-top assignment: In between assignments I once shot a feature on a dog Bar Mitzvah service in New Jersey with a red Pomeranian named Nicky.
Country you most want to return to: Greece. In Athens I covered the financial crisis and years later the migration crisis. Despite the turmoil, I fell in love with the country and the people. A uniquely complicated place at the cross roads of history, I have yet to work in another place as captivating, curious, and complex as Greece.
Twitter handle: @ddaltonbennett