Elena Cavallone

I started freelancing as a journalist after years spent in the news production and distribution at Euronews. When I decided to switch to journalism I already had experience working in a newsroom, that’s why I started pithing stories to Euronews as a freelancer. My report were EU focused since the beginning but when I gained confidence I have started also reporting worldwide affairs from outside the EU.

Yes, maybe when I was 10 for a history assignment at school. I belong to the generation of millennials who have memories of a world without internet and PC…but who are now completely dependent on them.

I think social media are a great tool for journalists to collect information and material. Surely thanks to social media it is now possible to report on events, places or behaviors that were hard to cover. However, they also increased the circulation of fake news, generating confusion or misperception of reality by the wider audience. In such a fast paced world social media have shaped the news industry focusing on the speediness rather than on the quality of the information.

For me being a journalist means never believing something or someone unless you have checked by yourself. It means seeing when a story has the potential to reach a wide public. It means being able to empathize with the people you interview, without letting emotions overwhelm you. t means listening but also directing the conversation wherever you want. It means searching and searching again, until you are satisfied with the answer you get.

Barbara Serra, anchor woman at Al Jazeera English

To give voice to those people who are voiceless

Definitely my report from the contact line in Donbass, Ukraine. Instead of dwelling on the war aspects, I preferred to focus my story on the resilience of the people I met in that conflict zone, which is often forgotten by the media. I am happy to have given voice to Kyrilo, a teenager who dreams of becoming a rapper and who writes his songs amidst mortar shots. I also tried to talk about the difficulties of HIV-positive women and their fight against social stigmatization, but also Tatiana's determination to open a pizzeria on the contact line between line the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian separatists. I told their stories and placed them in the broader context. I wanted to give the viewer / reader a complete understanding of the complicated geopolitical context in which Ukraine finds itself, disputed between East and West.

I think the best pitch was about the story of a young assistant at the European Parliament who denounced the harassment received during her service. She revealed the heavy sexist culture within the EU institutions in a moment when #metoo movement was reaching its climax across the world.

There is nothing better than an Aperol spritz after a long day of work, better if accompanied by true friends and tons of chips

When I am not glued to the screen of my computer or smartphone I Iove spending time trying new recipes. For me cooking is not just feeding but also creating something that makes people feel better. I am passionated about international cuisine and I always buy a cooking book from the places I have visited. Although I hardly manage to recreate those exotic flavors, inviting friends over to taste is a way to share with them part of my trip.

People think sometimes I am a perfectionist who spends too much time work. It is true I dedicate most of my time to find interesting stories but that’s because being a journalist is not a 9am-5pm job!