"AFPC's support will equip me with new skills to become a better storyteller"

Mercy Adhiambo Orengo from Kenya is a student at the graduate school of Journalism at Columbia University. She is in the MA-Science cohort. In 2021, she received an Annual Scholarship Award from the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the USA. She has a first degree in journalism from the United States International University in Nairobi. She has worked as a reporter for various media houses in Kenya; writing human interest stories and features. Some of the beats she has reported on include: war and conflict, health, children, youth, and development. She was the 2020 Nieman visiting fellow at Harvard University researching how to report on children and vulnerable communities.

Mercy Adhiambo Orengo

What was the primary reason you chose to pursue your master's studies in the United States as a foreign journalist?

I was a features writer in Nairobi and one of my roles was reporting human interest pieces. At the height of Covid-19, I struggled to break down the science. I did not know where to get the right content that would be understood by people across different social groups. It was then that I realized that even though I had been a journalist for a while, I needed to specialize in science reporting because it interested me. I chose to pursue a master’s in Science Journalism. I could not find any university in my country that offered this specialty, so I chose to come to the US.

The fact that newsrooms were folding, and advertising models could no longer sustain media houses, made me think deeply about the future of journalism and my future. I realized it was time to think of global journalism and not just focus on local news writing.

You were recently awarded a scholarship from the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the United States. How did you feel about this recognition? 

I remember exactly what I was doing when I got the email. I was doing laundry and I might have danced a little and scared my neighbors. I was overjoyed and humbled. I know so many people applied, and I recognize that they are good journalists too. Getting this scholarship made me realize the importance of daring to do things that felt too big for me. I almost did not apply for the scholarship when it was shared by my school’s notice board. I felt “too little and too unknown” to aim for this prestigious scholarship. I am so glad that I silenced the self-doubt in my head and went ahead to apply.

As a journalist, how do you expect your studies and the support from the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the United States to help you advance your career?

I hope my studies and support from the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents will equip me with new skills to become a better storyteller. I want to learn how to effectively report on science and how to use different tools that are available for journalists to tell stories that reach a global audience.

What made you decide to become a journalist? How do you hope to make an impact in the journalism field of your country of origin?

I am obsessed with telling stories. Growing up, I saw many injustices that went unreported. So, I decided to become a journalist and I mostly reported on the vulnerable in society. The impact I am hoping to make is to report on underreported topics in my country such as climate change, health, and basic stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

As a foreign journalist, what defines your mission? 

My mission is to tell factual and balanced stories about Africa; a region that has been misrepresented in the press over the years. I am also getting into a new area of science reporting, and I hope to be a mentor to other upcoming journalists who are too scared of trying out new areas of specialization.

What do you think is the greatest threat to journalism today?

Misinformation and Fake news. The fact that technology and social media platforms are available for people to manipulate news and mislead a mass audience scares me. It means journalists have to work extra hard to verify any form of information they receive either online or off the net.