How Art can Transform Journalists and the News | Anjan Sundaram | TEDxCalle Aldama

Anjan explores a groundbreaking idea: art as a tool for healing trauma in those who bear witness to the world’s darkest moments. Through storytelling, painting, and creative expression, journalists can process their experiences, reclaim their emotional well-being, and, in turn, bring deeper humanity to the news. Anjan’s talk challenges us to rethink how we engage with truth—and how creativity can sustain those who risk everything to tell it. Anjan Sundaram is a journalist, author, television presenter, and artist whose career began with reporting on the devastating conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the world’s deadliest war. After two decades of covering dictatorships and overlooked conflicts, he now turns his focus to the pressing issue of environmental wars. His work has been featured in esteemed publications such as The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, and Granta, and he has hosted television programs exploring artificial intelligence, politics, and travel. Sundaram is the author of critically acclaimed memoirs Breakup, Bad News, and Stringer. Through his art, he channels the profound emotions from his time in war zones, transforming them into expressions of resilience and hope, while continuing to illuminate the inspiring humanity he encounters in the world’s most perilous regions. A TED Fellow, Sundaram’s voice resonates as a powerful force for understanding and change. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx