Behind the Byline: Journalism in general satisfies my deep interest in the intersection of law and politics

Zoé Gáspár is the Leading Editor Central Europe for The European Correspondent. Her passion for social issues and human rights made her develop a strong interest in journalism.

“I am a recent LLM graduate with a passion for foreign affairs, human rights, and most of all issues of social injustice. I first dabbled in journalism at the interview platform of the University of Amsterdam, Room for Discussion, where we organized weekly interviews with professors, economists, politicians, and journalists to bridge the gap between the world of academia and the world of economic and political reality. Since then, I worked as a Research Assistant in political research and as an Executive Editor at a law journal, but I have been looking for ways to get back into journalism.

I am from Budapest, Hungary – but I obtained both my Bachelor’s and my Master’s degree in the Netherlands. I graduated in Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics from the University of Amsterdam with a major in Law, and then went on to do an LLM in Public International Law at Utrecht University with a specialization in Conflict and Security. Prolonging my studies and learning the language with more or less success, I just spent an Erasmus+ semester in Northern Italy doing law and security studies."

The desire to know more about happenings in other European countries made her join The European Correspondent.

“Journalism in general satisfies my deep interest in the intersection of law and politics, but it was the niche view The European Correspondent offers that convinced me to apply here specifically. The possibility to learn about the national developments of countries and regions less reported in the current European media outlets is the true value of this initiative: the Correspondent fills a long-ignored gap in the market, contributing to the development of European journalism.”

On her vision for The European Correspondent in the future, Gáspár said:

“So far, European society-building has largely neglected the need to stay informed about foreign events that have a significant impact on the developments of our own countries. Without making these connections and shifting the focus away from Brussels technocrats, Europe cannot function as a true community. Hence, I hope for The European Correspondent to become a reading habit for everyone interested in foreign affairs. Since its inception, I have envisioned readers automatically checking out The European Correspondent website as they consume their daily dosage of news, and I am happy to have the opportunity to help and slowly transform this image into reality.”

Gáspár is the outgoing type who enjoys hanging out with friends.

“I really love cooking for my friends and flatmates! It helps me take time for and appreciate the people I care about.”

She likes to hike and is a voracious reader when not busy at work

“Outside of work, I like to keep myself busy with reading books and doing various sports, preferably outside. This winter, for example, I spent my free time snowboarding at a close by mountain range and hiking with my friends and family. With respect to books, I am a proper omnivore: I enjoy fiction and non-fiction as well, and my favorite books tackle everything from the geographical roots of humanity to the personal impact of the Biafran War.

Something I often get is that I should take a chill pill. I am very active and extroverted, love working on multiple projects at once, and - even more so - spending all my spare time on being out with my friends.”

The Central European issue of our newsletter is out today. Subscribe here https://www.europeancorrespondent.com/