My relationship with journalism began early in my life growing up in Montgomery County, MD. I was the technology writer for my middle school newspaper, and for the first time I felt the excitement of seeing my own words published in paper. Back then, I was a daily reader of gaming news sites for the latest announcements and reviews. Video game reviews were the culprit that sparked my passion for journalism.
In 2020, the news was enamored with the Covid pandemic and the U.S. presidential elections. That year also marked the beginning of college for me. I commuted to the NYU Washington DC building- parking under the Washington Post headquarters and walking through its lobby each day. The January 6th attack followed by President Biden’s inauguration touched me in a way I did not anticipate: these historical events happened so close to my home. Afterwards, I felt the urge to tell stories wherever I was… whether in DC, Rio, New York, or London.
As a first generation American of Brazilian and Portuguese immigrants, my exposure to Brazil’s economic inequalities and crises, and my connection to DC, made me attracted to political journalism. Some of the political issues, ranging from local to global, of particular interest to me are: DC statehood, labor unionization, climate change, and international relations (especially US-Brazil and EU-US relations).
I am a curious person by nature, always trying to find out new ways of doing things. This led me to begin exploring the relationship between journalism and data science. Data analysis can help create compelling stories, targeting different audiences, and highlighting patterns that may be easily overlooked. If we can use data and technology for that… why not? I am eager to learn more about data journalism as this field evolves.
I appreciate your interest in browsing my website. My stories have a taste of my personality. I try to add to the pieces the creativity of my Latin influence, the persistence of my American identity, and the wisdom of the old European in me. I hope to show a bit of my journalism journey through this website. Please feel free to comment on it and share your ideas.
Best,
Gabriel Vasconcellos
