Krista Kapralos, Global Press Journal

At the time of this interview, Krista Kapralos was managing editor of Global Press Journal.

What is the mission of the Global Press Institute, which publishes the Global Press Journal?

The goal of what we do is to hire people in places that mainstream news organizations do not cover, or do not cover well. [In countries where] there is a lot of misinformation or no information, our goal is to provide news that you are not getting anywhere else. It’s very rare for us to tag along on big news stories. We try to find other stories that aren’t coming out.

Why is the perspective of journalists from countries outside of the U.S. so important?

All of our reporters cover their own communities. There are some cases in which Western journalists can effectively go and cover news in foreign locations, but in many cases, if not most cases, I think the most effective way of covering foreign countries is by having people cover their own communities. They understand the local languages, the local culture, the local context. At the same time, there is an added level of danger for them because they are not actually leaving. So when we think about how to cover stories, we think very long term, keeping in mind that our reporters live there and are going to stay there. That’s really core to who we are and what we do.

How did you get started working in journalism?

I started off just wanting to be a reporter. Some of my friends told me that at one point I said that I was going to be the owner and publisher of the Wall Street Journal. So I always had some reporting in my blood. I went to journalism school, then took a job at a small daily newspaper, which was the best decision. I’ll always encourage journalism students who want to become the world’s best investigative reporter or best feature storyteller, to take a job at a daily newspaper where you will be the only person at work the day the mayor shoots his wife. That sort of stuff happens at small newspapers. You want to be the person there to take that gig when it comes along.

How did you end up at the Global Press Journal?

I called the founder and said, if you ever have an opening, I’d love to come on board, and before long I was able to. I started off building the syndication platform for Global Press Journal which is now known as Global Press News Service. That was a learning point for me because I had no interest initially in doing a job like that, but I wanted to be a part of this organization. When an opening was available to become managing editor, it was a natural fit. I had experience on both sides, and I had a much better understanding than I did as a daily newspaper reporter to how the business of journalism works.

How did you get interested in international journalism opposed to domestic journalism?

I’ve done a lot of domestic journalism, and I think that’s always really important. I started out covering small town city councils. I learned how to develop relationships with people there. A lot of people, particularly in small towns, tend to have a fixation on power, and they would hold it over the little journalist. After having all of these experiences, I wanted to expand. I always had an interest in refugees and immigrants. I spent quite of bit of time working at a refugee camp in Germany, and I developed an interest in international affairs. I figured out the stories that worked best for me to tell.

Do you do any writing still as managing editor?

I produce very little myself. I’m not out doing my own stories. I’m helping reporters develop stories on their own, figuring out the best way to get a story, figuring out the best avenue for a story, and all the technical details that go into it. So the story is still theirs. I think that was the surprise for me because when I was finding some success as a news reporter, I found that I couldn’t imagine being an editor. But I love seeing someone succeed.

— Ayana Tabourn '16