'This is journalism at its most raw': Go behind the scenes on the frontline with new-look Sky News show

A new-look Sky News series takes viewers straight into some of the world's most hostile environments.

From dodging gunfire in Syria to navigating gang-controlled streets in Haiti, Hotspots shines a light not only on the stories themselves but how those stories are captured - through every breath and decision.

"This is journalism at its most raw and its most genuine," says special correspondent Alex Crawford, who stars in the series alongside chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay and their fearless teams.

It is a testament to the journalists who venture into some of the world's most hostile and difficult to reach places to bring the truth to light.

Told using only natural sound and raw action gathered in the field - with the entire team mic'd up - Hotspots immerses audiences in unfiltered reality.

This multi-perspective coverage delivers unparalleled transparency in an era of fake news, giving viewers a real-time look at how Sky News' eyewitness storytelling unfolds on the front lines - and the challenges journalists face to uncover the truth.

Last aired on TV in 2021, Hotspots returns with a new digital-first format and a host of exhilarating locations, including:

• Syria: Caught in the crossfire between armed groups
• Haiti: Inside displacement camps where hostility takes on a different face
• Somalia: Searching for ISIS hideouts in remote terrain
• Colombia: Tracking coca farmers deep in the Amazon
• The West Bank: Reporting under constant watch from Israeli forces
• Libya: Discovering overloaded migrant dinghies drifting in the dark

"Authenticity is what our viewers are desperate for. And we are giving it to them in spades now," says Crawford.

"This fresh, behind-the-scenes Hotspots takes you right inside our team to give you an unvarnished look at how we operate, how we communicate and how we just plain survive in the most hostile and challenging of environments."

Watch:
Why Stuart Ramsay went back to Haiti's gangland
Sectarian violence in Syria explained

Ramsay, whose team takes viewers behind the scenes in the West Bank and Haiti, says he hopes it will provide an insight into "what it takes to bring you the news".

"It takes a whole team to produce our stories, but as a rule you only ever see me! Hotspots gives people an opportunity to see the whole process, to see how we all work together, and to watch my team in action.

"The job is not always easy, it has its challenges as you'll see, but I happen to think I have one of the best jobs in the world, and now through Hotspots you can (sort of) come along with me on assignment."

Watch Hotspots on the Sky News Hotspots YouTube channel.

(c) Sky News 2026: 'This is journalism at its most raw': Go behind the scenes on the frontline with new-look