As Moammar Gadhafi’s regime fell, a young Bermudian was one of the few journalists on the front lines covering the war as it unfolded.Emma Farge joined the respected Reuters news agency in June 2009 as an oil derivatives reporter, which has taken her on assignments across Europe and in the US.But as rebel forces took Tripoli this summer, the 28-year-old was given just a few hours to pack and get on a plane to Libya to be part of the Reuters team of foreign correspondents on the ground, based in Benghazi and Tripoli.In a baptism of fire, with constant explosions in the background, she quickly learned the dos and don’ts of being a journalist in a war zone.The number one rule in a hostile environment, she said, “Stay on the tarmac to avoid landmines.”Miss Farge helped break stories on everything from Gadhafi’s suspected whereabouts to controversial oil and business deals. She also spoke to torture victims of the regime.She has just had published an article on a Libyan Jew’s return after 44-year exile: “In the walled old city of Tripoli, Libya’s independence flag pokes through crumbling buildings and a gang of children wielding toy pistols tear through dusty alleyways …” (the link to the full article is below).Miss Farge’s stories have been picked up by media around the world, the Bermudian’s byline appearing regularly now in most of the leading newspapers of the world.The Oxford-educated reporter returned to London last week for a break from her Libya assignment but expects to be sent back to the battle zone again soon.Miss Farge, a former Bermuda Sun writer and accomplished equestrian, talked to us about her journalism career and the “tenacity” it took to finally land a job at Reuters, where she had always wanted to work.What is your educational background?I was at Bermuda High School and did my International Baccalaureate at Malvern College in the UK’s West Midlands. Oxford University was my first choice and I studied History and English and then went onto do a Masters in International Relations at the London School of Economics.Was journalism always your goal?I always knew it suited me best as it seemed to come naturally to me and allows me to follow my passions: writing, investigating and meeting interesting people. I knew that was what I wanted to do when I left Oxford but my confidence took a beating when my application to the Reuters graduate programme was rejected electronically within minutes because I didn’t speak Russian or Chinese! I eventually found a way into Reuters but it took a few years.Reuters has a reputation for honest, global, courageous journalism. I wanted to be part of that.What was your work background before joining Reuters?I worked for the Bermuda Sun from the age of 19 in my school breaks and that encouraged me to pursue journalism. I still remember the principles that the editor Tony McWilliam taught me on how to be a responsible journalist. He explained the dangers of giving too much authority to anonymous sources and the perils of betraying contacts in a small community. I have developed my own style since but his guidelines have stayed with me.I think Bermuda is a great place to forge a career as a journalist since it’s easy to build sources and, because it is so small, you quickly learn one of the most important aspects of journalism: if you get it wrong you have to be accountable.How did you get a job at Reuters and what was your first assignment or beat?I came to Reuters covering what sounds probably sounds the most boring thing possible: oil derivatives! I had previously worked for an energy trade title which was probably read by only about 50 traders and occasionally my mother.Journalism is extremely hard to get into and there are so many wannabes that I needed to develop a niche to get hired by a global agency like Reuters. But I think oil is a fascinating subject, involving some of the world’s biggest companies and with a major impact on politics.The battle lines for the US Presidential election next year may well be set by the price of gasoline for example. I have worked for Reuters on short assignments in Paris, Brussels, New York and Cairo, but Libya was my first truly hostile environment.Tell me about Libya and your experiences there?My editor gave me about four hours’ notice to get to Heathrow the day after Tripoli fell. I was worried at first since I wasn’t sure what to expect. The country is still at war so I knew there were risks. The day I left Cairo for the 16 hour drive to Benghazi (there were no commercial flights) some Italian journalists were kidnapped so I was a little concerned about driving into a Gaddafi checkpoint. Even in the east, there have been some militia attacks. I was also worried by random explosions during the night as it’s hard to tell exactly what they signify, although most of the time they were just fisherman using grenades or celebratory gunfire. The other concern was landmines, but I followed the main rule learned in hostile environment training: stay on the tarmac.I am really proud of some of the investigative reporting I have done in Libya. I revealed which companies circumvented economic sanctions and how others were seeking to use good political relations with the rebels to land oil deals.It was an honour to tell the story of a people who has suffered so much under Gaddafi and many have waited 42 years to tell their stories. I met some former prisoners of the notorious Abu Salim prison who told me about being tortured by Gaddafi prison guards and a Jew who has received death threats for daring to return to his former country. Their stories have become part of me. I feel a deep involvement in the country’s fate.What advice would you have for other Bermudians wanting a career in journalism?I think tenacity is key. Anybody can be a journalist if they are passionate enough.Some of Miss Farge’s most recent articles can be found online at:http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/01/us-libya-jew-idUSTRE7900PI20111001http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/09/23/uk-libya-rebuild-idUKTRE78M1QT20110923