Laura Ling

Laura Ling is an Emmy award-winning journalist and author. She’s reported from dozens of countries around the world for outlets including Discovery, the E Network, PBS, and Current TV to name just a few. She is currently the head of programming for Hearst Television’s streaming video service. As an international correspondent, Ling has reported on issues including women’s rights in the Middle East, Internet Censorship in China, and Slave Labor in the Amazon. More recently, her work has focused on stories that inspire and heal the human spirit. She’s the host of the Discovery mini-documentary series "The Power of Kindness" that looks at the scientific roots and benefits of being kind. She’s also the host of "Everyday Bravery," a podcast about overcoming life’s biggest challenges.

In March 2009, while reporting on the trafficking of North Korean women, Ling and her colleague Euna Lee were detained by North Korean soldiers along the Chinese-North Korean border. The two journalists were arrested and held captive in North Korea for 140 days before being granted a special pardon and returning to the United States. She documented her experience in the 2010 memoir, "Somewhere Inside: One Sister’s Captivity in North Korea and the Other’s Fight to Bring Her Home," that she penned with her sister, Lisa.

An inspiring survivor and symbol of resilience, Ling offers fascinating insights into her role as a journalist, the importance of exposing the world to critical global issues, and what she learned during her time in one of the world’s most recluse countries.