EP.4, Helene Aecherli, Switzerland
From a career that began by covering the opening of hair salons in her hometown of Lucerne, journalism has taken Helene across the world.
She’s reported from Guantanamo Bay, where her creative article uses the courtroom sketch artist as its narrative thread.
From Egypt, where her award-nominated piece “Dangerous Singles” focuses on unmarried women over 28, who are regarded as a “security threat” by conservative politicians in the country.
And from Yemen where, beyond journalism alone, she set up a humanitarian project called “Salt for Sewing Machines” in 2015.
Helene was also named Reporter of the Year by Schweizer Journalist in 2019; we discuss all of this and much more in the pod!
EP.3, Gwen Lister, Namibia
Gwen Lister can be regarded as one of the most important figures in the fight for press freedom over the past half-century.
As a young girl, Gwen witnessed the great injustices of apartheid and decided to fight this through the medium of journalism.
She did this from Namibia – then under South African control – and launched the independent newspaper “The Namibian” in 1985.
The paper exposed human rights violations committed by apartheid South Africa's occupying forces, and was a key voice in the fight for Namibia’s independence.
And whilst Gwen was jailed twice (including when 4 months pregnant), faced threats on her life, and had her offices firebombed on multiple occasions, her newspaper never missed an edition.
EP. 2, Serbeze Haxhiaj, Kosovo
Serbeze Haxhiaj started out in journalism as a teenager, around the same time that the Kosovo war began in 1998, which led to her becoming a refugee.
Over an almost 30-year journalism career, her work has focused on topics such as war crimes, reconciliation, human rights, and corruption – all of which we touch upon in this podcast.
Aside from her extensive work, we also discuss the human side of journalism, and the emotional weight that comes with a career in the profession.
EP. 1, Simon Vera, The Netherlands
Back in 2024, Simon Vera became the first journalist in the world to spend time with the Fano rebel group in Ethiopia.
His area of expertise is in East Africa, and he spends his time travelling around the region writing about topics such as conflict, human rights, and climate change.
In the episode, we discuss his time with Fano, why he was barred from entering Tanzania, and much more!