Morocco World News Organization (Kaya Responsible Travel) - Morocco

Final report:  Morocco World News Organization, Kaya Responsible Travel – Morocco

Before my remote internship, I put zero thought into my plans for the summer break. I felt clueless about in which direction I wanted to pursue my career. Near the end of my first year of college, I received an email from the Kellogg Institute regarding internship opportunities for the summer. I opened and read the email, which contained information about summer funding for undergraduate students to receive for research projects and internships. With no hesitation, something within me solidified my decision to apply. Weeks later, I learned of my new summer plans; the beginning of my career discernment path faced me with the help of my remote internship placement.

During the summer of 2021, I was fortunate enough to participate with the Morocco World News (MWN) organization through Kaya Responsible Travel. The publication works to present digital reports on Moroccan and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regional news in English that addresses the global community on political, economic, and societal issues without portraying a certain bias or political agenda. With Morocco often being the center of attention due to the country’s limitations on freedom of speech on its individuals, the organization serves as a bridge of news to alert international community members of these issues by providing them with information that values freedom of speech, democracy, and transparency. In addition to producing reports about MENA region news, MWN prioritizes reporting news that portrays worldwide importance. As a result, the organization has published and continues to write stories from outside its region, often covering news from the United States, Canada, and Europe. To flourish as an organization, MWN strives to maintain the highest standards of journalistic ethics and excellence by following values of accuracy, independence, integrity, clarity, fairness, and balance.

When I began my first week of work with Morocco World News, I was determined to meet all these expectations so that I, too, can engage with and inform their international audience of major news that may influence their lives. Since my only journalistic experience was a broadcast journalism class I took in high school, I initially felt nervous that I would not be good enough to fulfill the organization’s mission. Prior to the commencement of my eight-week internship, one of the head staff writers contacted me and we communicated via email, text, and phone call on WhatsApp. They notified me that I had the leeway to choose what type of work I could complete as an intern. Since I am more familiar with video-editing and social media work, I first chose to work closely with the social media team through video-editing and developing ideas to enhance their social media presence. Although I did work mostly with the social media team, I was also allowed to write stories and research news.

After I finished my first week interning with Morocco World News, I felt conflicted and disconnected from what I hoped to achieve from this internship. Though it was only the first week, I still felt like I was not doing the work I had hoped to do. I quickly reached out to a head staff writer and expressed that I wanted to do more writing pieces. I felt like the work I was doing with the social media team was not as useful to me because it was something I am already familiar with, and I did not feel a connection with the work I was doing. As the days turned to weeks, I was writing and researching more news stories. I wrote about a range of topics, from the rise in popularity of the Moroccan caftans to the efforts Morocco is making towards transforming itself into a more climate-friendly country, and about the ongoing fight for LGBTQ+ rights for Moroccans. My reports were being published, and I formed a meaningful connection with the work I was doing.

Besides writing stories, I also worked with the Managing Editor of the organization to brainstorm ideas to improve their internship program for both remote and in-person experiences. Working one-on-one with staff members allowed me to learn from them and even adopt some of their expertise on being an exceptional collaborator. For instance, in practically all of my conversations with the Managing Editor and other staff members, they always made sure to listen to any ideas or critiques I had to say on ideas and stories. I never felt like I was working alone or for someone else but rather together with them, as one team. I felt equal and on the same pace with everyone on the work we were doing. As I completed my placement in this welcoming environment, I was able to positively maximize my internship experience without doubt or fear that what I was doing was not enough. At the end of my internship with Morocco World News, I had successfully written about 20 reports and had 15 published on their website.

Aside from my success in the number of publications, I gained a plethora of skills through this internship. I improved my communication skills and confidence, both of which I learned are essential for thriving in a remote work environment. Working in an entirely different country and time zone felt intimidating to do for an internship; I knew it would not be so easy. I remember doubting my abilities to thrive and do what is expected of me. Over the first few days of work, I set goals for myself to attain throughout my internship. Doing this allowed me to maintain motivation and gradually build confidence within myself. I would also often remind myself that I had a support system of people who were there to help me with anything, such as the MWN staff, the Kaya Responsible Travel placement advisors, and Rachel and Holly from the Kellogg Institute. Building my confidence worked hand in hand with improving my communication skills. I grew the courage to ask for help when needed and give my thoughts on ideas when asked. After the internship, I became more assured of my abilities and ideas and became more social in conversations I had with those I worked with.

When I applied for this internship, I had no sense of direction for what I truly wanted to do with the rest of my life. I was a college freshman hoping to immediately figure out what my profession in life would be. Truthfully speaking, I am still unsure of a specific job that would suit me best both skillfully and joyfully. However, this internship experience of working with an international organization reaffirmed my desire to help groups of people and individuals who are most vulnerable socially and economically. Unlike internship experiences I would experience in the United States, this international remote internship experience opened my eyes more deeply to the vast beauty in different cultures and the unfortunate struggles people go through outside this country. Therefore, I now have some sense of direction for what I wish to do as an occupation. I now see myself often traveling outside the United States to offer my help in any way to communities that live under unjust conditions. From feeling strongly misguided and confused about my life path, this summer enabled me to achieve an impactful and memorable experience that has strengthened  my skills, improved my character, and steered me in the first part of my life's journey.