Reporting on Eastern European politics: A conversation with BCB student Mykyta Vorobiov ‘25

When third year Bard College Berlin student Mykyta Vorobiov isn’t busy working on his Politics and Ethics degree, he freelances as a widely published journalist specializing in Eastern European and EU current affairs. His work has been featured in both German and English newspapers and websites such as the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and the European Journalism Observatory online. The liberal arts curriculum at BCB has helped him by expanding his research scope and providing him with strong academic writing skills that he transfers towards his journalism work.

Mykyta was a sophomore at university in March of 2022, a mere month after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and as a political science student, he was working as a political advisor for a municipal deputy. In his position, he was asked to take over communication tasks for foreign journalists covering the war. This made him realize that he could combine his interest in political science with his deep passion for communication and writing, honing his skills and eventually writing his own pieces.

He transferred to BCB shortly after, and has since taken classes, such as Making the Case: Human Rights Research and Reporting with Fred Abrahams, that have further built on his journalism expertise by allowing him to “view [his] work not only from a journalistic standpoint but also from the point of view of a researcher,” he shares. Classes such as this one have introduced him to a wide range of new topics that inspire his articles. His most recent article in CEPA elaborates on work he submitted for the class and delves into the lives of indigenous people in Russia.

Mykyta writes exclusively for western media and aims to make political situations in Russia and Eastern Europe more accessible for foreign audiences. “This allows me a perfect chance to shed light on situations from Eastern Europe which I consider to be under-reported in Western discourse,” he says. In order to provide accurate journalistic insight that is well-researched, he speaks with various political figures and related experts, a part of his job that he enjoys greatly.

For students interested in pursuing a career in political journalism, Mykyta suggests “picking a precise area of work and getting acquainted with journalistic standards.” Afterwards, students should develop their writing style with the help of an editor. “An editor is a person who will define the quality and style of the journalist’s writing. They are the principal teacher, and building meaningful links with this person is vital. One should feel the style of their editor's writing and determine if it resonates with them,” he advises. He’s currently looking for co-authors for some of his legal pieces, so he encourages BCB students with expertise in the subject to send their CV and a short pitch of their idea to his work email. 

Mykyta also cooperates with JURIST, an award-winning online legal news service, and produced a series of articles on Balkan politics featured on their website. His interests have expanded beyond just Eastern European politics and he has recently been focusing on domestic German political affairs.

Post Date: 02-07-2024