Longtime DR Middle East correspondent Puk Damsgård steps down after 15 years
After 15 years as DR’s Middle East correspondent, Puk Damsgård is leaving the Danish broadcaster to focus on long-form storytelling, including a new documentary and a book about Greenland, DR reports.
Damsgård has covered some of the region’s most defining conflicts, from the Syrian war and the rise and fall of Islamic State to the aftermath of the Arab Spring and the Israel-Hamas war following the October 7 attacks. Her reporting has also highlighted the human stories behind the headlines, including refugees fleeing Lebanon and Syrians living under shifting political realities.
“In many ways, I feel like I’ve been married to DR for the past 15 years,” she said, describing a career that has kept her constantly on the move across the Middle East, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and beyond. “But now, I want to focus more on storytelling—primarily in longer formats.”
Her decision to leave comes as she seeks new creative challenges. “It’s important to keep evolving, and sometimes you have to dare to take the leap,” she explained. While she called her time at DR “fantastic,” she added, “15 years is still a long time.”
From freelancer to frontlines
Damsgård’s career has been marked by bold transitions. Before joining DR, she left a stable job at Jyllands-Posten to move to Pakistan as a freelancer—a risk she credits with opening doors to her later role in the Middle East.
“If I hadn’t taken that chance, I might never have gotten this job,” she said. “Sometimes you have to throw yourself into the unknown.”
Reflecting on her years as a correspondent, she highlighted the human resilience she witnessed amid conflict. “I’ve learned so much about what survival means, and how life takes shape despite incredible challenges,” she said. “There’s also an incredible humor, joy, and love in this region that doesn’t always make it into the news because the focus is so often on bombs and war.”
Among her most memorable assignments was covering the Arab Spring, the death of Libyan leader Gaddafi, and the Syrian war’s devastating toll. Yet, she emphasized, the individuals she met along the way left the deepest impression. “I’ve tried to capture not just the suffering, but people’s instinct for survival and their love of life, even in the hardest circumstances.”
New projects, same region
Though leaving DR, Damsgård will remain based in the Middle East. She is currently working on a documentary about Syria and a book for Politikens Forlag focused on Greenland.
“The news cycle is relentless right now—there’s been so much breaking news for so long,” she noted. Stepping back from daily reporting will allow her to explore stories in greater depth. “Being a free bird means your wings have to carry you,” she said. “But I believe they will.”
Damsgård is the author of several books, including Where the Sun Cries, Do You See the Moon, Daniel, and Arabica.