I worked as an intern for the Association of European Journalists (AEJ) for 10 weeks, from January to the end of March 2019. I am studying international journalism at Thomas More Mechelen and I have obtained a first bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and sciences with a focus on international relations and peace and conflict studies. The internship was a mandatory part of my program at Thomas More.
Overall, I regard my time at the AEJ as a very enriching experience. During the 10 weeks, I was able to get a much deeper understanding of the European Union and the workings of its different institutions. I also developed a more profound awareness of the importance of journalism for democracy and the many challenges media and journalism are facing today.
Apart from widening my knowledge on many related issues, such as online disinformation, free and open source software, populist movements, and a current trust crisis in media, I also got to improve on more practical skills. I attended many meetings, events, and discussions and I wrote a substantial amount of reports, book reviews, and press releases. Moreover, for one of the first times, I conducted real-life interviews and got to test my networking skills outside of the university context.
The AEJ also offered me the chance to work together with the Press Club in Brussels. I was able to help prepare and report on the 7th World Congress against the Death Penalty, organized in cooperation with the ECPM (Together against the Death Penalty). Due to my interest in Human Rights related topics, this became one of the highlights of my internship.
I am grateful that the AEJ and the Press Club team, especially AEJ President Lieven Taillie, have given me the chance to spend 10 very interesting and also sometimes very challenging weeks in Brussels. We have discussed possible future cooperation and therefore, one might be able to read more news from me on the AEJ website very soon. For the interns to come at the AEJ: Enjoy your time!
