In this week's episode (Ep #009) I had David Blevins of Sky News in the "Hot Seat" to talk through his career spanning 25 years at Sky and some of the key moments and events that have shaped that time with the broadcaster here in Northern Ireland. This was honestly one of my favourite recordings yet, as David is so insightful with his stories and musings on key themes & topics, so much so whatever your background or interest in politics & current affairs, you absolutely will take something away from this episode.

Amongst many other topics, we discussed;

• Reporting on the Omagh Bombings and the lasting impact that has had on David's association with the town
• Live on the Frontline: How it feels to report from the front lines of violence with rioting and disputes alongside gunshots, bomb blasts and more
• The impact of reporting on this violence to journalists' mental health & mindfulness and the importance of good support
• Interviewing US Presidents, Irish Presidents, Prime Ministers and First/Deputy First Ministers & memorable moments from those interviews
• The importance of protecting good & proper journalism from accusations of fake news, evolving with the prevalence of social media & condemnation of threats to journalists for simply doing their jobs
• Reporting on Stormont in 2020 & the impact of COVID to how news correspondents need to work differently with the regulations

As above, I know if you listen to this you will find it engrossing and entertaining in equal measure (take it from someone who has listened to it back 3x times and would happily go back again!). 

As with every episode, I'm extremely keen to get any feedback you might have or any suggestions you might also have on guests I should look to have on in the future. Please do get in touch with me - on Twitter @steviehenning or @inthehotseatpod, or on Instagram @stevie.henning or @inthehotseatpodcast - every like, share, Retweet and subscription means more than you could know to me, so please keep sharing if you're enjoying these.

I'll be back with one more episode next week prior to Christmas, but in the meantime I wish you all a very happy Christmas and New Year with your families, however different they may be this year. Stay safe and look after yourselves.