Gabriel García Márquez put it this way: “Although you suffer like a dog, there’s no better work than journalism.”
One, two, three, four waves of a global pandemic. Death and grief. An economic crisis. Nasty electoral politics. Covering the ins and outs of cruel reality can leave its mark. But sometimes the hardest work yields the moments that restore our faith.
A door was closed: Two women said that when they complained about sexual harassment at the University of Costa Rica, they were thrown out of their postdoctoral program. They knocked on door after door.
Andrea opened hers.
Awaiting her were endless sheafs of papers and endless hours of research. Six months of work and six in-depth pieces. Sweat and tears, criticism and pushback. Doubt and noise.
In the end, more doors opened. Doors back into the university, which reversed its decision and readmitted one of the students.
A dog’s life? Perhaps. Those moments of breakthrough? Priceless. At times like that, when it’s not about your byline but about your impact, Andrea says it’s simple: you realize you chose your profession well.
Text by Katherine Stanley Obando, inspired by the story of Andrea Mora of Delfino.cr about her reporting on a sexual harassment case at the University of Costa Rica (read more here). Our weekly Media Naranja column tells short love stories with a Costa Rican twist. During our September edition, “Infodemic,” they are focused on journalists’ love for their craft.
