Journalism Is a Public Service, Not a Popularity Contest
Meet the hell-raising Mother Jones fellows who keep us accurate and fresh.
Every six months, Mother Jones welcomes a new class of up-and-coming journalists to learn the craft of investigative reporting through a rigorous fact-checking program. It’s not easy for fellows to balance helping Mother Jones staffers fact check articles while developing their own news stories, but our new class is up to the challenge. Meet one of our Ben Bagdikian editorial fellows, Nathalie Baptiste:
“Journalism is a public service. The better informed we are, the better we are as a society.”
Name: Nathalie Baptiste
Hometown: Rockville, Maryland
Education: I got my B.A. in International Studies at Graceland University, and my M.A. in International Studies from East Carolina University.
How did you get into journalism? I was working as an intern at the Institute for Policy Studies, and the editor of one of the institute’s blogs asked me to write a post on how the United Nations inadvertently started cholera epidemic in Haiti, which is where my parents are from. It turns out I wasn’t half bad at it.
Why is being a journalist important? Even though journalists are unpopular right now, journalism is a public service. People can learn a lot about the issues affecting their world just by opening up a magazine, a newspaper, or clicking on a link. The better informed the constituency is, the better we are as a society. I love to learn, and—more importantly—I love to tell people all about the things I’ve learned. Journalism is the best way for me to combine those two things.
What got you reading Mother Jones? I can’t say I remember exactly. I grew up watching cable news and reading newspapers alongside my dad; so I guess it was just a natural progression, as I grew up into a politically progressive person.
What’s one thing you’re excited about doing at Mother Jones? Learn from the senior staff. I’ve already learned so much, I feel like by the time I leave, I’ll have come a long way.
What are you excited to do now that you are in DC? I grew up in suburban Washington, DC, so I didn’t have to go far to become a MoJo fellow. My favorite thing to do in town is try new restaurants with my friends. Right now, my favorite is Compass Rose; it boasts a delicious menu of street food from around the world.
What’s one song you can’t get out of your head? Frank Ocean’s “Super Rich Kids.”
One TV show we must watch now? BoJack Horseman on Netflix. Prepare to laugh, but also sob like a newborn baby.
An article that changed the way you thought/has inspired you? Ta-Nehisi Coates’ “The Case for Reparations” was really inspiring. I’d never even thought seriously about reparations before reading it.
Each week, we’ll bring you a new profile of our fellows. Check our Medium page for more. ∎
