Canada: CFWIJ fellow Agnieska Pikulicka-Wilczewska talks about reporting on the far-right in Europe
January 18, 2019 — CFWIJ fellow Agnieska Pikulicka-Wilczewska spoke to our founder and executive director Kiran Nazish during a talk at the Brandon University. She spoke about her coverage of the far-right in eastern Europe and how the media affects politics on the ground. Agnieska connected with students at the university in Canada in a bid to share with them her experiences when working on the ground as a woman journalist.
During her talk, Agnieska shed light on the rise and development of the far-right in the European continent. She particularly spoke about the extreme right movements that exist on the margins of politics following her experiences of covering different groups in the region. The discussion also steered towards the challenges reporters face when working on the subject, considering the influence of extreme right on public debate in Eastern Europe and other relevant issues regarding their coverage.
The Coalition spoke with Agnieska to ask about her experience of addressing the students at Brandon. “It was a pleasure sharing my on-the-ground experiences and stories with the students. Many of them want to pursue journalism in the future and seemed rather interested in the subject,” she said.
Agnieska recalled the time when she started working as a reporter with no guidance and very few contacts in the industry. She said, “I remember how difficult and frustrating it was in the beginning, which is why it is important to support aspiring journalists and share useful tips.”
Covering the far-right in the European region is not an easy feat, but Agnieska delivers quality journalism with diligence and immense hard work. She shared her experience with CFWIJ and said, “The main issue here is polarization within our societies which is here to stay. Studying the far right, their methods, views and grievances is important in order to understand how to address, and perhaps, minimize the polarization and divisions. Informed and responsible reporting will play a crucial role here.”
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The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world, and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
Follow us on Instagram @womeninjournalism and Twitter @CFWIJ. Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org
