Trey Yingst began his career in broadcast journalism during his time at American University (AU). Now, he’s the Chief Foreign Correspondent for Fox News, a position that requires him to enter war zones to cover destruction and interview citizens and political leaders alike. Yingst returned to professor Bill Gentile’s Visual Literacy class to discuss his job, how his time at AU prepared him for his role, and his tips for students looking to enter the profession.

He spoke of his experience working on the morning of October 7 in Israel, as well as his time in Gaza and the people he’s met. He described the complicated nature of his job and how he has met people from all backgrounds, all with unique stories. His advice? “Talk to everyone involved and try to humanize the people you’re covering.” Yingst expressed to students that since his work can cover divisive people and issues, his job is to cover the truth in the hope it will start a conversation.

In war-torn countries, he said, he is often approached by civilians looking for answers or updates on their homes or families. He does his best to listen and comfort them. After spending time getting to know these communities, he said that he finds having to leave and go to the next story as often the hardest part of his job. When a student asked about how he copes with working in such devastating situations, he called back to what he had learned from Professor Gentile’s experience working in the field, explaining that he practices “radical mental health.” 

Looking back to his time at AU, Yingst recounted how his experiences in the classroom prepared him for his current role. Describing SOC as the intersection of the real world and scholastic world, he explained that “the unique thing about SOC is that you actually use what you learn.” It’s something he himself modeled as a student, when he collaborated with another student to launch the media outlet News2Share, which featured the students’ own reporting from hot spots like Ferguson, MO, where Yingst was arrested while covering protests, and from international locations including Ukraine, Gaza and Israel.  

When asked for career advice, Yingst encouraged doing something every day that gets you closer to your goal. He described how he used to have a microphone that he ordered online which he would use in his driveway while recording himself giving updates on news abroad. Mimicking how journalists he watched reported, he learned by doing. He also emphasized that students need to take advantage of being at AU, a place where students are “learning from people who are continuing to write and create.” 

Yingst has spoken to Gentile’s class several times over the years, sometimes zooming in from conflict zones. This in-person appearance coincided with his trip to DC to accept a First Amendment award from the Radio Television Digital News Association.