FORMER BBC war correspondent Kate Adie visited a Taunton school to give a talk in order to raise money for charity. 

The experienced journalist was at King's College in Taunton for a talk hosted by the ABF The Soldiers' Charity South West. 

Sixth form students at the school attended alongside members of the public who wished to support the charity. 

Her talk outlined some of the most dramatic points of her career, including the London Iranian Embassy siege in 1980, and her times alongside the British Army in wars far and wide. 

"Our job is to put together the fascinating things that other people have to say. 

"When I first started out in radio it was a learning curve. 

"We were all young and hadn't done or seen much, but out there was full of people that had done all sorts of things. 

"We had to listen to people, and work out what was the most worth while. There was always people with wonderful stories, peculiar stories. People are interesting."

Miss Adie spoke of the start of her career, and how it wasn't expected of her to get a job that involved her talking to strangers she hadn't been 'formally' introduced to because she was a woman. 

All was going well for the young journalist before she was fired from South Today, a BBC television station based in Southampton. 

Following a tip-off, she headed out to report on a murder, but was fired as she was meant to be with some elderly ladies filming an embroidery event. 

Miss Adie was quickly snapped up by the BBC in London where she went on to become a well-respected and recognised war correspondent. 

She mentioned that reporting from the frontlines was never something she chose, but that assignments were handed out much like how taxi ranks work - first come first serve. 

She told the audience her top-tips for reporting in conflict, an answer she says not many people expect to hear. 

She said: "Don't make yourself a target or get in the way - never become the story. 

"You turn up when people are often at their worst. You are not automatically welcome. 

"My first tip to students is always to be polite, to have good manners. 

"People are on-edge, the last thing they want is to have you in their midst. You go carefully."

She gave advice to the audience after being asked how the public can avoid 'fake news', to which she replied "question everything". 

Miss Adie said she doesn't like to use the word 'balanced' to describe her reporting, and much prefers to ask herself whether her work was 'fair'. 

"We live in a much more complicated world now, but it's one that needs reporting," She added. 

"We live in a country that gives us a democratic right to know things, that isn't the case for much of the world. 

"Being able to report is part of democracy. 

"I am proud of being a reporter, especially next to the British Army."

For more information on the charity soldierscharity.org/regions/south-west/