Saskia van Alphen, Freelancer | Argentina

Michelle Meier: What led you to your career?

SVA: I think I have always been interested in social-political issues. When I was a teen-ager I used to do volunteer work for the World Wildlife Fund and Amnesty International. I studied accountancy in university because it was the 'wise' thing to do, but fortunately I found my way back to socially oriented work rather quickly, working for a local government in Holland, responsible for social integration and youth topics.

As to writing, it is something that I do by nature. I wrote dozens of diaries. Very young I'd keep a log of what I'd eaten and done every day, then started to write down personal thoughts and later things that I experienced during my travels through Asia, short stories, some poems.

Once in Argentina, and after another work experience in a commercially driven organization, it was just a small step to starting a studies in Social Sciences and Journalism. Soon after the opportunity came along to write for The WIP. It has given me the opportunity to start a career in journalism, writing about topics that deeply interest me and coaching me to grow and develop my professional writing skills.

MM: What types of media do you use in your work?

SVA: Internet is my main source of information. It allows me to read news from all over the world, so I can keep up to date with what is happening in Argentina, the Netherlands and anywhere else I am interested in. I have put together an iGoogle page with feeds from various newspapers and magazines and screen that every day. Internet and all that's available on it has pretty much replaced all traditional media in my life. I don't watch cable television, but choose the programs I want to see from the Internet. I do listen to radio shows, but again mainly over the Internet. I keep on buying newspapers and magazines, because I prefer reading from paper, but I think in the future I will buy a Kindle or iPad of some sort. Unfortunately those things are not widely available in Argentina and even less accessible price wise, so for now my laptop is my everything.

MM: How has online journalism played a role in your career?

SVA: I think online journalism can be the counterbalance to commercially driven news sources. Many newspapers and TV channels are managed by businessmen rather than journalists, whose interest it is to make a profit. They choose news items that are sensational and that will sell to attract advertisers and money. Online news sites can remain distant from commercial goals and therefore allow for more unbiased and probably more extended reporting than traditional media. The WIP is an excellent example of online journalism which truly offers a different perspective from the traditional news sources.

Another advantage of online journalism is that it can be shared with people all over the world and allows for a truly global discussion on topics.

MM: Have you experienced any gender bias(es) in your career?

SVA: Especially when I just started working in a predominantly male organization, I felt that with every project, I had to prove that I was not just a pretty face on the project, but that I was there because of my knowledge and experience. Later I experienced that government organizations and other more human oriented work environments have a far more unbiased approach, not only in gender, but also in age or background, which I found really stimulating.

Argentina, in general, is a rather masculine society, where some men would raise certain topics (like money, administration, taxes, immigrations, etc.) only with my husband and not with me. Since those are not the topics that I am wildly interested in, I frankly am not that bothered by it. In my studies and current jobs I am surrounded by more sensible people and I am not experiencing any gender biases.

MM: How have international experiences impacted your career?

SVA: It has been a truly interesting experience living in a different country than my own. It made me see that there are very different ways to solve the same situation. While the Dutch are generally very direct in their opinion and approach, the Argentineans have more subtle ways to make their point. Living here enhanced my communication skills and broadened my cultural knowledge and understanding of people. It opened my mind in many ways and gave me a broader range of (communication) tools from which to choose the best approach in each situation.

MM: What do you think are differences in journalism between Argentina and the United States?

SVA: That's a hard question, since I am not very familiar with United States journalism, except from what is broadcast by some of the TV channels. I think journalists in the United States are more focused on what happens abroad, since the United States is involved in many international issues. Most newspapers and TV shows in Argentina focus mainly on local issues and predominantly on what the president and ministers have been up to these days.

Most newspapers are very critical towards the president and her government. Between the lines you constantly read some sort of accusation, while I think (guess) the United States newspapers have a more objective way of presenting the news.

I must say that this is in fact another interesting aspect of living in another country and especially on a different continent. It made me aware of how arrogant the West is about its leadership, knowledge and progress. Living in South America makes you aware of the dark side of the highly developed West. Something I didn't notice so much when living in Holland.

MM: What is your biggest piece of advice to a young female student who is just getting into this field?

SVA: Read texts and books by Ryszard Kapuscinski, a very inspirational Polish journalist and writer.

Read and ask a lot. Kapuscinski, for example, says that you should read 100 pages to write one. The main goal is that you need to know your story very well and that you need to be able to defend it. What sources did you use? How objective are they? Why do you mention a certain expert and not another? What did you leave out of the article and why?

MM: What is your most memorable experience in your career so far?

SVA: Personal contact with people who experienced the things I write about. First hand information is very valuable, because it gives me the opportunity to not just have plain data about a situation, but it also transmits emotions, feelings, opinions and visual information on how they dress, what their face expresses, how they live. It gives me the opportunity to relate much more to the story and the people I write about.

MM: How far do you think we've come in accepting female journalists since you first began your career? Have you noticed improvements?

SVA: I think the situation for female journalists has improved very much. In Argentina, the writing press has generally a 50-50 representation on the editorial departments. Still, like in many other professions, there are drastically less women at the top and female writers often get paid less than their male colleagues.

MM: Where do you see yourself in your career 10 years from now?

SVA: Since my Social Sciences studies are oriented towards art history and the contemporary art market, I aim to be working as an art critic or on the educational department of a museum. It'll be somewhere between art, society and writing.

MM: Where do you see online journalism 10 years from now? Do you believe newspapers will be online or still delivered in paper form daily?

SVA: I think online journalism will become more important every year. Today, online journalism is still organized according to the traditional division between writing, photography, broadcasting. I think it will develop into a more hybrid form where different media will be intertwined to bring information according to each individual need.

I think paper newspapers will eventually disappear and will be replaced by handheld devices that allow you to consult and read online newspapers, magazines and reports. It might lead to a mechanism where you'll buy sections of the newspaper individually, choosing only those that interest you most. A sort of Itunes library of news items. Or you might even be able to buy specific news topics, subscribe to, I don't know, all news related to the landslides in Rio de Janeiro.

MM: Can you think of a specific moment in your career or throughout your schooling where you felt extremely empowered to be a woman?

SVA: I don't remember any specific moment, nor did I ever felt the need for an empowerment of my femininity, but I do feel inspired by certain women, like Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma and on a smaller scale, a group of Muslim women with whom I worked in Holland, who, after years of remaining excluded from society, found the courage to learn the language of their new homeland to be less dependent on their husband and children.

Interviewee: Saskia van Alphen

Saskia van Alphen began her professional career in accounting working with one of the top 5 firms in the Netherlands. However, she strived for a career where she could work with the communal structure of her country. She then worked for the Dutch government for many years managing various projects including the integration and participation of adolescent immigrants. In 2006, Alphen moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina so she could fully submerge herself in the culture of the area. She still resides in Argentina and is in her second year of Social Studies with a specialization in Art History at Universidad de Palermo where she utilizes her language, communication and organizational skills as a freelancer for various organizations.

Interviewer: Michelle Meier

Michelle Meier is a sophomore from the University of Iowa. She grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa where she graduated from Linn-Mar High School in 2008. She was voted "Most Outgoing" in her senior class of 500 people. Aching for a new experience she packed up her things and moved to Colorado where she would attend Colorado State University for her freshman year. Meier loved the culture Colorado possessed. While she was in Colorado she decided sports broadcasting was the smartest career decision because of her interest with not only sports but speaking in front of thousands of people. Meier has previous dance and performance background but when she was a Golden Pom at Colorado State she quickly learned that performing was something she wanted to do for the rest of her life. Meier is a very hard worker. She has been working since the day she turned fourteen and finds enjoyment in working. Her dream is to work at ESPN with the Big Ten Network writing and broadcasting sports. Meier hopes to be a refreshing face for journalism and is proud to be a woman in such a great field.