Growing up in Brussels and studying in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, I have always been interested in politics and government affairs. Having recently graduated from a master's, I have gained more knowledge in these disciplines. Throughout my studies, I have had the chance to read about and deeply research various topics, from sustainability issues to political subjects, which I often wrote essays about. This gave me the passion for researching and writing, allowing me to investigate an area and analyze it. I am passionate about political subjects but also climate change, sustainability, and many different sports.

I wrote my final year thesis about the impact of fuel poverty on the student population in the United Kingdom. Through literature reviews and a survey distributed to students, I got to investigate the impact that poor housing and the recent inflation had on students. The results showed that fuel poverty is an increasing issue, which led to my research on different recommendations to reduce the impact of fuel poverty in students. This project further increased my interest in research and writing essays.

The importance of media and journalism is clear to me, especially in the current political environment. They are crucial informational cycles, keeping people updated on local and international stories. Credible journalism serves as resistance against false narratives at a time when misinformation and disinformation are pervasive, influencing elections and public opinion. An informed citizen is crucial to a democracy, and reliable news sources enable individuals to trust societal processes and make informed decisions. Working two summers at Lie Detectors, which is a media literacy organization in Belgium, gave me an insight into the different issues and tasks necessary to improve the public’s resilience to disinformation.

I am interested in artificial intelligence and the impact it might have on news, politics, and societal processes. Artificial intelligence has the potential to completely transform the news industry as well as society at large by improving the collection, processing, and distribution of information. However, there are also shortcomings and threats, as if artificial intelligence becomes more widespread, there are risks about fakes, false information, and the possibility of bias in social media that can impact, for example, political elections. AI will surely change the media landscape as it develops, posing new challenges to critical media consumption and ethical journalism. This is a subject that we should investigate to determine the challenges and benefits of developing and using AI.

When it comes to journal articles, David Gioe is one of the academic scholars whose articles I have a keen interest in reading. As a professor at Kings College London and West Point, he offers an in-depth analysis and perspective of global affairs. I appreciate reading articles by scholars that explore different views on political subjects. Reading other perspectives and analysis helps with personal development but also understanding of other opinions. I believe that journalism is important and should be protected to ensure access to real and accurate information.