During my internship with a press freedom and human rights organization in Mexico, I supported the protection and defense team by investigating 169 murders and 31 forced disappearances of journalists since 2000. I monitored open sources, compiled case notes, flagged discrepancies, and reported new developments to update internal databases and inform the annual report; I also attended conferences with media experts and human rights defenders to stay current on risks facing journalists across Latin America.
This internship solidified my belief in the power of journalism to uncover truths from overlooked regions and deepened my desire to become an international correspondent, driven by the conviction that what happens in one part of the world profoundly impacts others. … While the risks of pursuing such work are sobering, this internship convinced me they are worth taking. It reminded me that sometimes justice is never achieved, but the next worst thing is for these atrocities to be forgotten.
Sebastien Bridonneau
Senior| UC Berkeley | Mexico| Anthropology and Journalism