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Bellisario College of Communications sends a group of student journalists abroad each spring break to experience news reporting in a foreign country. This class, International Reporting, requires students to complete an entire semester of research and then report and create a news program that focuses on aspects of life in another country.
This year Professor Katie O’Toole took her students to Estonia.
Hannah Malkovich, a junior in broadcast journalism, originally applied for the course in the fall of 2022, but didn’t expect to be accepted.
“I was overjoyed when I heard I passed the class,” Malkovich said. “I was so excited that I started researching Estonia during my winter vacation.”
When the course finally started in the spring, Markovich wanted to pitch a story about women’s empowerment in Estonia.
“I was fascinated by the fact that [Estonia] We have had a female president in the past and now we have a female prime minister,” she said.
In the weeks leading up to the trip abroad, Markovich and her classmates learned all they could about Estonian culture, politics, language and more. They were constantly researching newscast locations and contacts.Markovich is an Estonian nonprofit that provides young girls with the knowledge and skills to pursue careers in engineering, robotics and the natural sciences. Connected with her HK Unicorn Squad.
She knew this would be the perfect organization for her story. I noticed
“The Unicorn Squad class chose a lesson specifically for me, and it was great,” says Markovich. “They had green screens and the girls learned how to set up lights and cameras to make skits.”
Markovic’s most exciting interview was with Estonian Reform Party Prime Minister Kadja Karas. She Karas is the first woman to serve as Prime Minister of Estonia.
Despite being a “nervous wreck” on the day of the interview, Malkovich knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
‘Why?’ In a country this small, I think everyone, including me, at least had the opportunity to interview the prime minister,” she said. “It’s scary to go to a foreign country, but I thought, ‘Why don’t you try it?'”
Malkovich was interviewed by Prime Minister Karas through a contact he made within the Reform Party. The interview took place at the Reform Party’s political election event, where the party won a majority of seats in the Estonian parliament.
“My representative took three minutes to interview me. [the Prime Minister], I was preparing. My classmates and I had to ask her her two questions,” explained Markovich. “When she came in, I think she was a little shocked that we were American journalists. This makes her probably one of the most influential people I interview, so I was nervous, but she was so kind and helpful.”
Given the nature of Malkovich’s talk about women’s empowerment, she asked about the determination women need to reach important political roles.
“I asked her what she would say to a young woman who wants to be like her one day. We talked,” Malkovich said.
Malkovich said the trip to Estonia was the best experience of her life.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and the fact that our university can give you an opportunity like this – I don’t know how you could pass it up.”
One of the biggest lessons Malkovich learned on this trip was patience. She said it took persistence to create her contacts, set up interviews and get a chance to speak with the prime minister.
“If someone didn’t answer, I had to keep trying until someone said yes,” Malkovich said.
The full international coverage newscast will be published in May.
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