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Hello, I'm Joanna Sowińska

I am a passionate trilingual journalist with a training in press, radio and television 

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My journalism experience:

Written production:

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Twists and Turns at the International Criminal Court – The Central African Case – Sphaera Magazine

Following the Central African Republic (CAR) inability to conduct an investigation on war crimes and crimes against humanity, the trials at International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague are still ongoing. Vague statements on defence plans from the Defence Council however bring instability to the resolution of the case.

Mahahamat Saïd Abdel Kani, the commander of Central African rebels – the Séléka – was arrested on January 7th 2019 for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed

The Privilege of Being Warm – Maybe Not So Accessible to Poles – Sphaera Magazine

Following recent events in Ukraine, Joanna Pandera; a Polish energy specialist, traded her gas stovetop for an electric stove. A second preventive step consisted in installing an electric pump, which will allow her to keep her house warm throughout long and harsh Polish winters.

Nevertheless, Joanna’s story remains an exception to the reality of millions of Polish citizens, who will face the consequences of Gazprom’s’ closing of gas supplies to Poland. Following Poland’s decision not to pay gas

On Recent Events in Kryvyi Rih – A Newly Targeted Ukrainian City – Sphaera Magazine

Crucial hydraulic infrastructure in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih was severely damaged on Thursday 14th of September after a series of Russian strikes in the region illustrating Russia’s increasingly erratic tactics in the Russian-Ukrainian war.

According to Ukrinform, the Russians then launched a total of 13 cruise missiles over 3 days resulting in the partial destruction of key water systems, on which local Ukrainian entities have been working day and night to investigate and elimi

When Disinformation Blends with Facts – The Fake News War – Sphaera Magazine

While the large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 surprised more than one, information on the war can be found on a wide spectrum of different sources. Ranging from press, television, but also social media, graphic images of the bombings and the wounded are shocking. Positive emotions such as compassion emerged, especially in regard to the fleeing families and the reaction of states providing humanitarian help in the form of shelter, food, medication and military equipment. In this context, the

How Interdisciplinarity Both Produces and Limits Human Knowledge – Sphaera Magazine

Human knowledge can be defined as the assimilation of information achieved through discoveries, analysis, interpretations, and the confirmation of theories. The acquisition of knowledge starts with human senses, such as imagination, faith, reason or instinct. These contribute information to develop academic disciplines such as mathematics, the arts, physics and history. Human beings subsequently multiply knowledge through the fuse of academic disciplines. It can be also argued that interdiscipli

F**king Language – The Condition of Public Debate in Today’s Poland – Sphaera Magazine

Human rights are universal – and women are humans. This simple yet sometimes undermined statement is very topical in the context of protests and a heated debate in today’s Poland. Should Poland liberalise its restrictive laws concerning abortion? Or should it come back to the “abortion comprimise” with the Church? The internal dispute is on.

What is currently going on in Poland?

Since 22.10.20, Poland experiences the largest protests in years despite the global pandemic, due to the recent deci

Coronavirus – A Destructor of Lonely Peoples’ Minds – Sphaera Magazine

Everyone certainly remembers the countdown to 2020. However, no one probably expected the question: ‘Do you have your face mask with you?’ would become so common and repetitive in this new upcoming year. Nor that 2020 would result in an economic disaster, loss of millions of jobs, thousands of lives, increase domestic violence, and erect a feeling of loneliness for those who did not get the chance to stay with their beloved ones. In other words, 2020 seems to be the exact contrary anyone wished

Controversial Elections in Belarus – Is the Dictatorship Coming to an End? – Sphaera Magazine

On the 9th of August 2020, the incumbent Alexander Lukashenko was re-elected for his 6th mandate as the president of Belarus. Belarus applies a two-round system for its elections, meaning that if no candidate obtains more than 50% of votes, a second round is held in which the two best are competing. Nevertheless, no second round ever took place in the country, as Lukashenko has always been claimed president with overwhelming majorities. This time again, the government announced he gathered 80.10

”De Facto States” – People Who Live in Quotation Marks – Sphaera Magazine

While most people would suggest that states are the simplest entity to describe how the world functions, the use of the word state can be sometimes confusing because of its debated meaning. Today, the United Nations system counts 193 sovereign member states, from which 187 have no disputed sovereignty by any other state. In fact, the remaining 6 states, namely Armenia, China, Cyprus, Israel, South Korea, and North Korea are not recognised by at least one member state, but are, however,

still c

Conflicts for Water – The Reality of Billions – Sphaera Magazine

Living in a country such as the Netherlands sometimes makes people forget about their basic privileges. While the ability to shower once or twice a day may appear marginal to people in most developed countries, two-thirds of the global population (4 billion people) and close to half of the world’s largest cities experience water scarcity. Water accessibility can be outlined in two dimensions. Firstly, its physical availability, and secondly, its distribution throughout the countries. As a matter

Creative Protests in the Age of Internet and Social Distancing – Sphaera Magazine

There are many ways you can protest these days. You can march on the streets, you can picket, you can riot. You can also boycott or work via unconventional tools, such as the Internet. The following article describes how two coexisting phenomena have contributed to the birthing and popularising of unconventional protesting methods. Firstly, it’s technological development. Secondly, it’s social distancing, related to coronavirus. As it can be seen on the examples of hacktivism, #MeToo campaign an

Poland: On the Course to Civic Oppression – Sphaera Magazine

Politics is odd. It is often characterised by the lust for political power, and the Polish government is a clear example of this phenomenon. In 2015, Prawo i Sprawiedliwość (eng. Law and Justice), a right-wing, populist, conservative party won the national elections for the second time since its creation in 2001. It is particularly known for its Euroscepticism and poses a threat to the quality of democracy in Poland.

A clear example of the negative influence of the ruling party over the citizen

Performance Enhancing Drugs: a Misleading Road in the Chase for Success – Sphaera Magazine

Due to an increasingly competitive world driven by capital, personal success soon became a foundation for career building. A common name given for this phenomenon is the “rat race”, which refers to the endless struggle of people to achieve success. In fact, this process is described as self-defeating, as it is stressful and exhausting. These days’ generation is particularly involved in the rat race as financial stability is to a greater extent associated with personal success and university degr

”Divided: Why We’re Living in an Age of Walls” – Review – Sphaera Magazine

An inherent debate in political science concerns the future of global governance. While some optimistic authors believe in the creation of a world state with a supranational authority and effective international laws, Tim Marshall (2018) outlines a completely different view on this topic. In fact, it is in his influential book “Divided: Why We’re Living in an Age of Walls” that he points out that there are multiple divisions such as religion, race and politics which hinder the creation of one un

How it all started... (2019-2022)

As a curious person, I started reporting at a very young age. While I have always been involved in school magazines, my first serious experience was after joining Sphaera Magazine in 2020. Studying political science, I was looking for a platform to share my knowledge and report on current events. I have joined Sphaera shortly after it was created and actively contributed by writing and editing articles. With a lot of excitement and to take it further, I have become Sphaera's Editor in chief for a period of 1.5 years. This taught me editorial responsibilities and confirmed my passion for journalism 

To Sphaera Magazine
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How it continued... (2022-2024)

After completing a bachelor and first master degree in political sciences, I have decided to pursue a journalism master degree. Sharing similar aspirations on reporting with my colleagues, we have decided to launch our very own news website: The Groningen Observer. This was a great experience as I got to sharpen my writing skills and discover several types of reporting, ranging from political articles, investigation, feature writing, opinion articles and way more!  

To The Groningen Observer

The Groningen Observer •

Without law or justice – Poland’s parliamentary elections (opinion) - The Groningen Observer

Parliamentary elections in Poland are approaching, and (PiS), the ruling party is deploying all possible means to win for the third time – ironically with tactics that have nothing to do with law or justice.

Last time I voted, it was from abroad. And I had a funny feeling my vote wouldn’t matter. Not because as people say “I am one among millions of other voters,” but because I know what PiS is capable of. And this includes cheating on elections.

Marek Zagrobelny, a former PiS activist publish
The Groningen Observer •

“Politicians didn’t cancel it, we Gen Z did” – Georgian youth wipes out foreign agent bill - The Groningen Observer

Tbilisi’s city center is covered in smoke and Lia cannot breathe. While coughing, she tries to open her eyes, but they burn. She has lost her friends in a crowd that is a storm of panic. She has seen the authorities using water cannons, tear gas and even beating protestors. She is terrified, but determined to fight for democracy in her country.

“When I could no longer breathe, I collapsed and a boy, a stranger, saved me and carried me away,” said Lia Chogovadze, a Georgian student still shaken
The Groningen Observer •

From an officer to (soon) a general – Jacques Roussel’s experience in the French army - The Groningen Observer

Arriving at his place, you may feel like you are in the center of Paris, surrounded by buildings resembling a smaller version of the L’Elysée. A very symmetrical setting, tall, beige buildings, all sitting around a square park with a fountain in the middle. Except that you are in Grenoble, a French city lying in the valley of Chartreuse, Vercors and Belledonne mountains.

Jacques Roussel’s service house – the so-called “ ” – looks as grand on the inside as its facade. Once you pass the gate safe
The Groningen Observer •

The Polish connection: black market cigarettes in the Netherlands - The Groningen Observer

Here I am, standing in the backroom of a corner store, amazed by what I just discovered. In front of me stands a huge cube of meticulously stacked juice boxes. The shopkeep begins removing the juice boxes one by one starting at the top. He steps aside, revealing a core made up of dozens of cartons of cigarettes, with Polish, English and cyrillic text. He quickly adds, “each of them is 4 euros” – reffering to packs – “choose, and put them in your pocket now, I’ll charge you later.”

At first, my
The Groningen Observer •

2023 Dutch provincial elections – expats and coalitions, drive for change ? - The Groningen Observer

In March, Dutch citizens will vote in the provincial elections, and for the first time those living abroad will have their say.

The vote will elect the members of the 12 provincial councils who then decide on the senate members, having a great bearing on policy making for the next four years.

While these elections’ represent an enormous stake for the country, they garner less attention than municipal and parliamentary elections with a declining voter turnout over recent years.

Nitrogen policy
The Groningen Observer •

“A season from hell” – FC Groningen at its lowest - The Groningen Observer

Following its decline in performance recently, FC Groningen found its reputation endangered after a series of scandals within the club.

says Mark-Jan Fledderus, the technical director of FC Groningen.

FC Groningen, currently sit at the bottom of the Eredivisie, the top division of Dutch professional football, experiencing their worst season since the club was founded in 1971.

The football club has not won a match since October, a fact that disappoints many of its fans.

“Terrible, absolutely
The Groningen Observer •

“Hey, nice tits! : Dutch activists call for new legislation from Holland’s municipalities - The Groningen Observer

The Hague – Pim V., an instructor at the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) is accused of

having photographed hundreds of female students up their skirts; pushing local

activists to meet with Holland’s municipalities with hopes of reinforcing laws against

sexual harassment.

Unlike many sexual harrasment stories that remain silent, this recent episode

became public after the professor was uncovered and arrested for taking a picture of

a woman in a fitting room.

The assaulted woman highlights the
The Groningen Observer •

Another semester of disrupted studies leaves Ukrainian students demoralized - The Groningen Observer

Thousands of Ukrainian students started their studies with a significant delay due to postponed entry exams, a factor among others crumbling their studying conditions.

The war-driven dynamics change the learning environment drastically, students state. Among them is Ruslana Bolkun (21 yo), a Kyiv student who still considers herself lucky that her university was not damaged; had the start of her academic year delayed until Monday.

Although not all educational institutions have been affected by

Audio production (radio)

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Versace exhibition in Groningen - behinds of a production chain:

World Cup 2023 - To be boycotted ?

Cafes in Groningen make changes to cope with inflation:

Delivering presents on time - Post NL busy time

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The end product: The Retrospect Radio Show

Ultimately, this preparation allowed my classmates and I the launch of our very first radio show "The Retrospect"!

In this show, I had the role of a live reporter and I interviews Klaas Pot, the head of 'Sticking Life Guardians" organization based in Groningen. This organization regularly collects and brings humanitarian aid to Ukraine. 

This radio show was a great experience that reinforced teamwork, but also highlighted my passion for reporting 

Visual production (television)

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Student Assembly Groningen

Camera stand-up:

Mass industry crushes small business: crocheting by Jie Lie

Ukraine food: supporting Ukraine one meal at the time

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Pexels
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Pexels

The end product: our own TV news show:

With the help of professional TV journalists from NOS, the largest Dutch public broadcaster, we have created a full news show, from A to Z. I am the co-author on the segment on bees, for which I found the topic, arranged interviews, filmed and edited the clip. The day of the broadcast I performed the role of studio producer. My role consisted in queuing news segments, watching times and instructing the technicians in the studio. 

After my studies...

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My first work experience at FRANCE 24

After finishing my second master in Journalism at the University of Groningen, I have moved to Paris where I have worked as the assistant to the editor in chief at France 24, for both the English and French broadcasts. This experience allowed me gain independence and adapt to a fast paced environment. My tasks consisted in booking live interventions, helping with the preparation of questions, and writing live broadcasted tickers. I also recorder some voice overs for the news show. I currently still work for France 24 as a freelancer.

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Contact Me

My inbox is always open, you can contact me with the contact form here or with the details below:

Email: joannasowinskapro@gmail.com

LinkedIn: Joanna Sowińska 

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A little bit more about me

I am a trilingual junior journalist with an academic political science background. With a journalism training in press, radio and television broadcast, I am very enthusiastic to report on the themes of Central & Eastern European politics, democratic backsliding, conflicts, social movements & protests.

I am currently working as a freelancer for France 24 as the assistant to the editor in chief. Prior to this I was a journalist & editor for the Groningen Observer, an independent and self-funded online news site in the Netherlands. Those experiences taught me a lot of discipline, work under pressure and in a team. 

During my studies, I have also learned how to produce feature, investigative, local as well as foreign reporting journalistic pieces. I have always been eager to join projects in journalism even before my master in this field. In 2019 I decided to become a writer and then the editor-in-chief of Sphaera Magazine, an online student magazine in the Hague. Supervising and expanding Sphaera Magazine gave me great satisfaction, and reinforced my enthusiasm for a future career as a political journalist.

To pursue my ambitions, I am looking into new opportunities now that I have completed my journalism degree and had a first working experience in an international newsroom!