This is a special Wednesday!

The youngest generation of the editorial team at Fair Observer is taking the stage, and they are telling you their stories.

Fair Observer’s mission is to inform and educate. A key component of this mission is educating our young editors. This is why we began a new program for these editors and Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh now trains them on a weekly basis.

I will sign off here and let you read what these young editors have to say about their experience.

Yours sincerely,

Roberta Campani

Stephanie Verroya

I live in Guam, an island in the Pacific, which is a US Territory. I have graduated recently from the University of Guam where I majored in linguistics.

I have joined Fair Observer as an assistant editor to apply what I have learned in university. I had no prior professional experience in editing. I have been attending the Saturday workshops Atul conducts online. These begin at midnight for me and so do other meetings. I have been literally burning the midnight oil during my time at Fair Observer but it has been worth the effort.

In these workshops, I have enjoyed meeting people from around the world such as Peter Isackson, Roberta Campani, Matthew Knudson, Hannah Gage and Lane Gibson. I have seen the editing process from the inside. The content that I have been exposed to has been new and enriching, especially when it comes to world politics and international relations. I am now editing my first article on Spain’s relations with Algeria and Morocco. In the days ahead, I look forward to what Atul calls “making sense of the world.”

Matthew Knudson

I was born in Vietnam but have grown up in the US. I have spent virtually my entire life immersed in American culture and, therefore, my main exposure is to American perspectives.

Joining Fair Observer’s team has been an eye-opening experience. I have learned about events often overlooked in American news and interacted with people from around the world. I have learned from different perspectives, many of which are very different to what I have been exposed to so far.

As a student of history, I was prepared for the lengthy research and writing requirements of an organization focused on context like Fair Observer. I was pleasantly surprised by how I got so heavily involved in media production. I produce most of our podcasts and write drafts describing them. This valuable experience to be empowered and trusted to do important work outside my intellectual training is most exciting.

Lane Gibson

My experience at Fair Observer has been amazing. Everyone is accessible, kind and invested in our professional growth.

I am from Chicago and have a deep interest in current events. I like to read widely and write on issues that matter. I did not have much professional experience in journalism but still applied to be an assistant editor. Rebecca, Atul, Peter and Roberta saw potential in me and have spent time training me. Each of them comes from a different background and lives in a different part of the world. I am learning a lot from all the varied voices who work in and publish on Fair Observer.

The first article that I edited was a piece titled, “A Timely Analysis: Foreign Policy Trends of Muslim-Majority States.” I was unfamiliar with this topic and the author is a former Bosnian ambassador. Editing Emir Hadzikadunic was a rich educational experience not only in editing but also international relations. Atul was incredibly helpful in editing this piece and I learned a lot during the process. Since then, I have been editing regularly and enjoy editing authors from around the world.

Before Fair Observer, I was focused on writing, but now I have discovered a love of editing and the entire writing process. Seeing my name alongside accomplished authors is very exciting and not many organizations offer the opportunity to make such an immediate impact. Fair Observer has opened new doors for me and I look forward to many more opportunities to come.

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