Not everyone who does something special is in the spotlight
What are you doing at the moment?
I work as a journalist on the Visual Investigations team at The New York Times. There, I combine traditional investigative journalism with digital techniques. I go out into the field, talk to people and delve into archives, but I also analyse satellite imagery, radio communications and other public sources. All with the aim of getting to the bottom of major news stories and holding those in power – whoever they may be – to account.
Recently, I’ve been working on a wide range of stories. We investigated Assad’s henchmen after he was ousted from power a year ago, asking: where are they now? For those stories, I also spent weeks in Syria. We have also investigated US military operations in Venezuela, the Israeli-American attacks on Iran (such as the attack on the girls’ school), and Israeli military activities in Gaza.
Do you remember the moment you found out you’d been named Alumnus of the Year? What went through your mind? What did it mean to you to be named Alumnus of the Year? What did you like so much about the title?
Absolutely! That was on 4 June 2019. I received an email from the previous Alumnus of the Year. And I thought… Huh? Where is this going? It was truly an incredible honour to read that I’d been chosen as Alumnus of the Year; I hadn’t the faintest idea. I was on my way from California to Washington, D.C., at that moment, where I had to attend a training course organised by the newspaper I’d been working for barely a year, on hostile environments.
I remember thinking, ‘Wow, not long ago I wrote a piece for a student magazine, Checks&Balances, about what life was like after International Relations and International Organisation. And when I wrote that piece, I realised once again just how much I’d been able to learn and discover as a student in Groningen. And how much of what I did there is now reflected in my work: international law, the lack thereof, you name it.
I feel that I am, and have been, in an enormously privileged position to be able to do what I’m passionate about. Many fellow journalists don’t have that luxury. So I felt it was a great honour to symbolise the importance of a free press that year. It was also a gesture of gratitude towards Groningen. The city and the university have played a major role in shaping who I am.
For me, it also signified recognition of a way of practising journalism that was still considered unconventional at the time. Open-source investigation – uncovering facts through publicly available digital information – wasn’t always taken seriously. The fact that the University of Groningen did take it seriously felt like confirmation that this method matters.
I had such a fantastic time in Groningen — from my studies in IBIO and Philosophy, to the late nights on Tuinbouwstraat. It feels magical when I think back on it. And then to be able to speak at the opening of the academic year, with my mum and dad there, that was very special.
Has the title brought you any tangible benefits?
Definitely. It has opened doors to conversations with students and young journalists in the Netherlands who are finding their way. Perhaps even more important is the motivation it provides. It reminds you of where you come from and what you want to contribute. If you have the privilege of studying what you want, you should follow your heart: choose what feels right to explore and what you truly care about.
Why should people nominate an Alumnus of the Year?
Not everyone who does something special is in the spotlight — sometimes it is precisely those who work quietly but powerfully who inspire the most. By nominating someone, you are saying: this work matters, and I see that. I found the stories of Taku Mutezo and Khalaf Alkhalaf, for example, very inspiring and look forward to seeing who will be the next Alumnus of the Year.