Samir Abu Eid

Location: Stockholm

Coverage area: Correspondent with assignment to travel where the audience suggests

Photo: Pablo Torres / SVT

The biggest challenge at work? 

The biggest challenge right now is to get to the places we would like to be.  

The corona pandemic is still ongoing and many countries have travel restrictions and quarantine rules, which makes it difficult to work. It is frustrating not to be able to be in our environment and report. But this autumn, I hope that it is, after all, possible to travel to countries in the Middle East and other continents.

I will fight hard to be the eyes and ears of our audience around the world.

What attracts in your particular coverage area / job?

In recent years, I have had a special assignment as the audience's correspondent. It is a nice initiative from SVT and it has been very interesting to go out into the world on direct assignments from our viewers. I have received many good ideas and suggestions from the audience that have become worthwhile TV reports. 

I love my job as a foreign correspondent. For me, there is nothing better than being in the world myself and reporting home what I see and experience. Sometimes it can be painful to report on innocent people suffering from war and misery - but at the same time it feels good to be able to make these people's voices heard. 

Most important issue next year?

The most important issue is the ongoing corona crisis and its aftermath. 

For my own part, I will especially try to follow how things are going in poor countries. In many countries in the Middle East and Africa, there are no safety nets or support packages of hundreds of billions, and many people there have already been hit hard. The number of people falling into deep poverty is expected to increase. 

I will also continue to monitor the wars and conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Libya, Afghanistan and Israel-Palestine.

Watch a report that Samir Abu Eid remembers from last year, about a father who made his daughter laugh despite the bombs falling on the city of Idlib in Syria:

Javascript is disabled

Javascript must be turned on to play video

Read more about browser support

The browser is not supported

SVT does not support playback in your browser. We therefore recommend that you switch to another browser.

Read more about browser support

Abdullah Mohammed and his daughter Salwa became world famous after their video. Photo: Abdullah Mohammed / SVT

Stina Blomgren

Location: Beirut, Lebanon

Coverage area: Middle East correspondent

Photo: SVT

The biggest challenge at work?

Security is a big challenge. This applies both in conflict zones such as in Syria, and in mass protests such as in Iraq and Lebanon. 

What attracts in your particular coverage area / job?

To be able to show what power people have to get up despite difficult circumstances. Every day we meet a hopeful courage and that is something I would like to convey in our reports. An example is all the volunteers who are currently going from house to house here in Beirut, sweeping up broken glass and repairing what is broken after the explosion. That power gives hope for the future. 

The most important questions in the coming year?

The corona pandemic and its effects on countries and human life.

The future of the Iran agreement - it will be decided in the autumn and will affect the power relations between the countries in the Middle East.

For me, who lives in Beirut, it will also be important to follow the critical situation in which Lebanon finds itself after the explosion and the economic crisis here. Right now, the country's future is being decided. 

Play the clip to follow Stina Blomgren's work as a correspondent:

Javascript is disabled

Javascript must be turned on to play video

Read more about browser support

The browser is not supported

SVT does not support playback in your browser. We therefore recommend that you switch to another browser.

Read more about browser support

"It is important to say that there are dreams and everyday life in a war zone." Photo: SVT

Bert Sundström

Location: Moscow, Russia

Coverage area: Russia correspondent

Photo: SVT

The biggest challenge at work?

The most difficult part of working in Russia is cumbersome bureaucracy and a kind of general concern about the consequences of contact with foreign journalists from abroad. It can take months to get permission to film in a certain place, and it is clear that many we want to meet are hesitant because they know that what they say can be used against them. The size of the country also contributes to this. When something exciting happens in Vladivostok and we want to go there, it means about the same travel time from Moscow as flying to Los Angeles.

What attracts in your particular coverage area / job?

I've been watching Russia for almost twenty years now. Throughout that time, the country has been ruled by one and the same person, Vladimir Putin. To see how Putin and the circle around him take an increasingly firm grip on the country is unpleasant, but to be able to make features from time to time about people who strive to make the country both more democratic and more prosperous is uplifting. In short: the meetings with ordinary Russians, who are usually friendly, open and generous, are my joys here.

Most important issue next year?

On the surface, it's all about how President Putin will handle his continued hold on power. Few believe that he will allow any development towards democracy. But dissatisfaction is growing, people have not seen their standard of living increase for many years and it is noticeable that those in power are worried. I think the economy will be most important. How can the Kremlin make people feel that they are getting better at a time when oil prices are low and the wars in Syria and Ukraine are devouring enormous resources.

Play the clip to follow Bert Sundström's work as a correspondent:

Javascript is disabled

Javascript must be turned on to play video

Read more about browser support

The browser is not supported

SVT does not support playback in your browser. We therefore recommend that you switch to another browser.

Read more about browser support

"It was very close that I died." Photo: SVT

Christoffer Wendick

Location: Stockholm
Coverage area:
Foreign Reporter, former European correspondent

Photo: SVT

The biggest challenge at work?

Europe never sleeps. One of the most difficult things is to keep an overview and keep up with everything that is happening on my continent - at the same time as I also have to delve into the depths of many topics and events. It's a bit like playing both piano and chess at the same time. Often several major events occur simultaneously. This sometimes forces me to make difficult decisions about what to watch. Because neither can I be in more than one place at a time.

What attracts in your particular coverage area / job?

The variety is huge. I am often struck by how many different expressions and cultures fit into this little corner of our planet. It's a job where I'm constantly on the move. From Dublin to Nicosia. From Lisbon to Tallinn. I always get to meet exciting people and share their stories. Together, this forms a larger story of today's EU and Europe. And almost every day I wake up with the feeling that anything can happen.

Most important issue next year?

The consequences of the pandemic will be the big question. Not just health and medical care, but all the side effects. The virus is penetrating the economy. Many European companies are having a hard time, but many households and families are also struggling with unemployment and poverty. The virus is entering politics. Europe's leaders will win or lose elections depending on how they cope with the crisis. We will also tell you about the researchers' search for a vaccine and new inventions, new habits and behaviors during the coming year. 

Erika Bjerström

Location: Stockholm

Coverage area: Climate correspondent

Photo: SVT

The biggest challenge at work?

Normally, the challenge is to select the news and reports that are the most important, most true and relevant. But right now, the covid pandemic is the big challenge, which makes it almost impossible to travel! The countries I want to travel to and make the most important climate news from have closed their borders for me as a Swedish journalist. It's sickly frustrating.

What attracts in your particular coverage area / job?

My coverage of the climate crisis takes me to the poor farmer in Madagascar to the tech companies in San Francisco and to the solar farms in the Moroccan desert. Doing research and finding the stories about the consequences of the climate crisis, the smartest ideas on how to save the planet from warming and how to do it in a socially just way is a dream assignment for a foreign correspondent. Deeply meaningful.

Most important issue next year?

Keep an eye on the green energy revolution, it is going faster than we thought. Some say that 2020 is a lost year because the global climate negotiations were suspended, but I do not think that the climate issue will be resolved in air-conditioned negotiating rooms. There are new horizons to keep track of.

See a report that Erika Bjerström remembers from last year, about protests against the closure of coal-fired power plants in Spain:

Javascript is disabled

Javascript must be turned on to play video

Read more about browser support

The browser is not supported

SVT does not support playback in your browser. We therefore recommend that you switch to another browser.

Read more about browser support

"I would rather die of pollution than of hunger."

Stefan Åsberg

Location: Washington, United States
Coverage:
United States Correspondent

Photo: SVT

The biggest challenge at work?

Nothing is more difficult than describing a deeply polarized country. This is how it is in Israel, this is the reality in Donald Trump's USA. Today, emails flood in in a way I have not experienced before during my years in the United States. It is political opponents who hate each other and always find a reason to interpret my elements as a distortion of American politics. It just has to be right so we can give viewers that nuance that we stand for.

What attracts in your particular coverage area / job?

The desire to tell drives me. The uncertainty in the face of the difficult-to-interpret that lies ahead of me for the next 24 hours and to balance on that slack line that separates success from failure. It's adrenaline and a competitive instinct that can only be owned by a failed athlete that makes me throw myself out there in the arena for public viewing.

Play the clip to follow Stefan Åsberg's work as a correspondent:

Javascript is disabled

Javascript must be turned on to play video

Read more about browser support

The browser is not supported

SVT does not support playback in your browser. We therefore recommend that you switch to another browser.

Read more about browser support

"Those weeks have shaped me both as a person and as a reporter." Photo: SVT

Alexander Norén

Location: Stockholm
Surveillance area: Tech correspondent

Photo: SVT.

The biggest challenge at work?

To keep up with all the news in the tech field. It just explodes with exciting things that deserve attention. But we want to be able to do reports where we meet the people who are affected, show examples in reality how new technology changes our everyday life in the world. It has become more difficult when we can only interview at a distance during the pandemic.

What attracts in your particular coverage area / job?

To look around the corner and see what will become a reality in a few years, to meet the people who have the visions - and nightmares - about how, for example, artificial intelligence will change our society as revolutionary as electricity during the technological revolution 100 years ago. We are in a new such turning point where the history books will talk about a "before" and a "after".

Most important issue next year?

Like everything else: the pandemic. The tech industry has taken stormy steps forward during the crisis. To help, and to build a platform as important players to make society work. It gives them more power and a better negotiating position vis-à-vis the politicians who threaten regulation because they have grown too big. The big tech companies, such as Amazon and Facebook, will emerge from the crisis even bigger and more powerful than ever.

Ulrika Bergsten

Location: Beijing, China
Area of ​​coverage:
Asia correspondent

Photo: Ronald Verhoeven / SVT

The biggest challenge at work?

To gain access to people and get to know how they view life, that is, to make them speak freely. It can also be extremely difficult to get close to people if you do not speak the language.

What attracts in your particular coverage area / job?

The dynamism and creativity in Asia is fantastically inspiring. The development is going at record speed.

Most important issue next year?

It will definitely be Asia's in general and China's economic recovery in particular. And how the relationship between China and the United States is developing.

Play the clip to follow Ulrika Bergsten's work as a correspondent:

Javascript is disabled

Javascript must be turned on to play video

Read more about browser support

The browser is not supported

SVT does not support playback in your browser. We therefore recommend that you switch to another browser.

Read more about browser support

"I think the report explains the world best." Photo: SVT

Jennifer Wegerup

Location: Rome, Italy
Area of ​​coverage:
Italy correspondent

Photo: SVT Helgstudion

The biggest challenge at work?

To always try to understand and portray all sides of a complex reality and be as true as possible. Then it can be stressful and demanding and alone without the editorial staff close.

What attracts in your particular coverage area / job?

That Italy is so multifaceted, so complex. The contrasts: the great differences between north and south, the political game, the mafia, the beauty of the country, the wonderful indomitability of the Italians. Captivating but precisely because of that so enticing.

Most important issue next year?

How Italy moves forward after the corona pandemic. The whole world is affected, but in Europe Italy is the third largest economy and it was so scarred before. Of course you get EU help, but it will still be a great challenge that risks having, and already has, enormous consequences in people's everyday lives, with the risk of widespread poverty and social problems.

See a report that Jennifer Wegerup remembers from last year, about what happened in Italy when the corona crisis hit:

Javascript is disabled

Javascript must be turned on to play video

Read more about browser support

The browser is not supported

SVT does not support playback in your browser. We therefore recommend that you switch to another browser.

Read more about browser support

Rush to pawn shops in Italy: "It's about survival." Photo: TT, SVT

Tigran Feiler

Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Area of ​​Coverage:
Latin America Correspondent

Photo: SVT

The biggest challenge at work?

Doing a gigantic region like Latin America justice in the news coverage is difficult. Impossible to put it bluntly. Therefore, the focus is usually on the larger countries with the risk that interesting events and happenings in smaller countries will disappear. It is also challenging to try to capture things that fall outside the traditional framework of news. Latin America is a popular cultural power and Spanish is a rapidly growing global language. Young people around the world admire Latin American artists and football professionals. How many can name a Chinese star? Succeeding in portraying these aspects of Latin America better is a great challenge.

What attracts in your particular coverage area / job?

Several Latin American countries end up at the top of the world's most dangerous places for journalists, human rights activists and environmentalists. Despite this, there is a bustling civil society full of brave people trying to find solutions to problems such as corruption, crime or violence against women. Meeting these fiery souls who generously open their doors for us is extremely inspiring. It gives hope for the future - even when the situation looks pitch black for the moment.

Most important issue next year?

I believe that the issue of poverty and inequality will dominate the agenda in the future. The corona crisis has exposed the cracks in Latin America, which was already the world's most unequal continent and where the gaps are now expected to grow further. Up to 50 million Latin Americans are at risk of slipping into poverty and the wave of protests that shook the region in 2019 could pick up speed again. In the slightly longer term, the climate crisis is the major threat - the snow cover in the Andes is disappearing, rainy seasons are disturbed and extreme temperatures are becoming more common. And if felling in the Amazon continues to increase, the entire rainforest could be turned into savannah with unpredictable consequences for the climate on the continent and the earth's ability to cope with the climate crisis.

Watch a report that Tigran Feiler remembers especially from the past year, about how many people are killed by police in Rio de Janeiro every day:

Javascript is disabled

Javascript must be turned on to play video

Read more about browser support

The browser is not supported

SVT does not support playback in your browser. We therefore recommend that you switch to another browser.

Read more about browser support

Rio de Janeiro is hard hit by clashes between police and criminal gangs. Photo: Sara Murillo Cortes

Malin Mendel

Location: Bombay, India
Coverage area:
India correspondent

Photo: SVT

The biggest challenge at work?

Not to stress over everything that can go wrong. Visas that are not issued, trains and planes that are delayed, bridges that have collapsed, roads that are flooded, interviewees that do not show up, cameras that get heat stroke, that you get sick, or that the sun has time to go down because you have to drink a lot of tea with different villagers. Since I film myself, there is a lot to think about at the same time. It is important to keep track of all technology and not forget any questions, while I want those I interview to feel comfortable. But so far during my fifteen years in India, I have always put together the reports - in the end. Because in the middle of the Indian chaos, anything is still possible, as long as you take it cool.

What attracts in your particular coverage area / job?

India has become one of the world's most important countries economically and politically, but also culturally and militarily, which has significantly increased interest in the country. But what attracts me the most are all the different people I get to meet. The vast majority are incredibly open and welcoming, it is easy to get in touch and joke. India is a dream country to film in, because it is so colorful and lively. In addition, India is like a whole continent with its different states, cultures, religions and languages, so I learn new things every day and very rarely get bored. 

The most important questions in the coming year?

India has been hit hard by the corona and unemployment has risen enormously. Many Indians have no margins and the fear of starvation is great, as well as of increased tensions between different groups. India is often called the world's largest democracy, but in recent years India has fallen on the international press freedom index, and minorities such as Muslims and Christians are exposed to both violence and discrimination. The situation of women is also a very important issue, as is how much India is prepared to invest in the climate. I will also be aware of the border dispute with China, as well as the ongoing conflict with Pakistan over Kashmir. India as well as China and Pakistan have nuclear weapons, which means that it is in the world's interest to avoid escalation at all costs.

See a report that Malin Medel remembers especially from the past year, about the effects of climate change in Bombay:

Javascript is disabled

Javascript must be turned on to play video

Read more about browser support

The browser is not supported

SVT does not support playback in your browser. We therefore recommend that you switch to another browser.

Read more about browser support

"My grandfather told my mother that the water was on its way."

Carina Bergfeldt

Location: Stockholm
Coverage area:
Foreign Reporter, former US correspondent

Photo: Andreas Zernell, SVT

The biggest challenge at work?

Everything you do not have time to tell about. There is so much going on in the United States all the time, and when you call the bosses at home to ask "do you want us to talk about x or y or z?" the answer was often "no we can not cope with the United States today".

What attracts in your particular coverage area / job?

What's so amazing about the United States is the range of just about everything. You have the richest and the poorest, they are the most innovative and the most conservative, it is the desert and the sea and the countryside and the city and the Democrats and the Republicans and all the opinions that can be accommodated in a country. It is an absolutely lovely stew to stir around in and try to make understandable for Swedes.

Most important issue next year?

How President Trump handles Corona will be crucial this fall when the country elects a new president. Everything else is happening a bit in the shadow of the election on 3 November. It will be very interesting to see which way the United States chooses to go.

Elin Jönsson

Location: Stockholm
Coverage area:
Foreign Reporter, former Russia correspondent

Photo: SVT

The biggest challenge at work?

The biggest challenge for me is often to find people who support power in an autocracy / dictatorship and want to stand up in front of the camera. They are often skeptical of Western media or suspicious, or just politically passive - while those in opposition are often driven by commitment and want nothing more than to tell. It can be difficult to get balance. Another challenge is to succeed in explaining a complicated political event in a country that few have knowledge of and to do so in a very short time, perhaps less than two minutes.

What attracts in your particular coverage area / job?

The best are the people - their drive and courage, openness and hospitality. To be able to show this is what drives me as a journalist, as I did in my report "A village of children". And so the political development in Russia, for example, is always full of surprises. Putin is an exciting tactician, you never know where he has in his pocket. In Poland, people are impressively familiar with politics and often very intellectual. It creates very interesting conversations, but makes it difficult to cut down the elements.

Most important issue next year?

In many of the countries it is the polarization - should it be broken? What else happens to a society when the inhabitants are increasingly falling apart. In Russia and Belarus, it is exciting how the people will deal with their authoritarian leaders. There is a bubble of dissatisfaction but so far the lid is on. What happens when the pressure becomes too great?

See a report that Elin Jönsson remembers especially from the past year, about a village in the Russian countryside where teachers began to adopt children:

Javascript is disabled

Javascript must be turned on to play video

Read more about browser support

The browser is not supported

SVT does not support playback in your browser. We therefore recommend that you switch to another browser.

Read more about browser support

In the small village of Sjapy, an unusual solution was found when the school was threatened with closure. Photo: Rebecka Haglund

Tomas Thorén

Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Coverage area:
Turkey correspondent

Photo: SVT

The biggest challenge at work?  

The awkward situation of press freedom in Turkey, even if it affects domestic colleagues the worst. Many times I have managed to get out of tricky situations because I know the language.

What attracts in your particular coverage area / job?  

The nerve. To be able to closely follow some of the biggest news events of our time. But the truth is also that I am deeply in love with life in Istanbul, not least for the food.

Most important issue next year?

The refugee issue and the dispute with the EU. Turkey's growing ambition as a regional power while President Erdogan struggles with disappointing popularity at home due to the poor economy. If Donald Trump loses the election, it could have major consequences, such as sanctions against Turkey and a changed situation in Syria.

See a report that Tomas Thorén remembers especially from the past year, about Swedes flying home from Turkey during the corona crisis:

Javascript is disabled

Javascript must be turned on to play video

Read more about browser support

The browser is not supported

SVT does not support playback in your browser. We therefore recommend that you switch to another browser.

Read more about browser support

"I miss snus as much as my girlfriend." Photo: Tomas Thorén / SVT

Lena Scherman

Location: Stockholm
Coverage area:
Foreign reporter with a focus on documentaries

Photo: SVT

The biggest challenge at work?

There are constant challenges, with everything from applying for and getting a visa, getting past difficult customs officials, finding good stories to tell that also say something universal about the time we all live in. Challenges that of course are also part of the charm of my job.

What attracts in your particular coverage area / job?

What attracts is the exciting, challenging and always fun to meet people. People who live such incredibly different lives with enormously different conditions and chances, but where I constantly experience that we are still so similar. We struggle with the same problem, we worry about our children, for our future, for the family. We think of our parents and their parents. We are all in transit through life and it is, in the midst of all the problems and difficulties, a sense of security and strength in experiencing this togetherness.

The most important questions in the coming year?

Right now, there are probably only two overarching issues that in some way subordinate all other issues. It is the corona pandemic and climate change and what they mean and will mean for and in the world. Economically, socially and humanly.

See a report that Lena Scherman remembers especially from the past year, about Florence Abu who was sold by human traffickers and ended up in Russia:

Javascript is disabled

Javascript must be turned on to play video

Read more about browser support

The browser is not supported

SVT does not support playback in your browser. We therefore recommend that you switch to another browser.

Read more about browser support

"I was forced into prostitution." Photo: SVT

Anna-Maja Persson

Location: Stockholm
Coverage area:
Foreign Reporter focusing on the United Kingdom and Brexit

Photo: SVT

The biggest challenge at work?

To make the complex and eternity-long Brexit process as comprehensible and interesting as possible. I myself am almost obsessed with Great Britain, a washable Anglophile, and I hope that my enthusiasm spreads to the viewers. But I realize that the complicated tours can scare away some. My goal is for as many people as possible to think that Brexit is as exciting to follow as I do. To arouse the viewers' curiosity.

What attracts in your particular coverage area / job?

This is the first time a country has left EU cooperation. It is a historical event that is extremely interesting to watch. What attracts the most is to meet the main characters in the drama, namely the British themselves. To be able to travel around the UK and portray the hopes, disappointments and all the strong feelings that Brexit arouses. For example, I have met broken families, old friends who no longer talk to each other. It's something that has stayed with me.

Most important issue next year?

On January 1, the transition period is over, and we do not yet know what will happen then. Will the EU and the UK have agreed on a trade agreement or not? The consequences of the ongoing negotiations will characterize the reporting well into the year. Another important question is whether the British Union will survive Brexit. I am thinking in particular of Scotland, where the zeal for independence breathes morning air. And then of course the corona pandemic. Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces formidable challenges when Brexit is to be fully implemented at the same time as the pandemic is raging.

See a report that Anna-Maja Persson remembers from last year, about the Scots' demand for a new referendum after the election in Great Britain:

Javascript is disabled

Javascript must be turned on to play video

Read more about browser support

The browser is not supported

SVT does not support playback in your browser. We therefore recommend that you switch to another browser.

Read more about browser support

"It's time for Scotland to go its own way." Photo: SVT

Liselott Lindström

Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Surveillance area:
Africa

Photo: SVT

The biggest challenge at work?

The biggest challenge is definitely that Africa is so huge. In practice, it is impossible to monitor the whole continent, and this means that you never give the whole or the individual countries justice as you do not have time to be everywhere or can know everything about all countries, not to mention all languages. Bureaucracy and logistics are other challenges, it takes a lot of both paperwork and patience to travel. You are constantly outside your comfort zone, which I love to be.

What attracts in your particular coverage area / job?

Africa is a very underreported area, which means that it is both easy and difficult to find interesting stories. In part, most of it is told fairly new to a large part of the audience, at the same time it means that many lack context and background knowledge, and it sometimes becomes difficult to satisfy both those who are well versed and those who do not have much knowledge from the past.

Most important issue next year?

How the continent and especially South Africa will cope with the pandemic is definitely a big question. What consequences the pandemic will have for the economies and employment, and what it will lead to are issues that will dominate in the coming years. Partly connected to that is how it will go in Ethiopia. Barely a year after the Prime Minister received the Nobel Peace Prize, the situation is tense, and the highly anticipated election has been postponed indefinitely due to the pandemic.

Want to know how the correspondents worked during the corona pandemic? Watch the documentary "Journey to the infection" on SVT Play.