By Juan Cortes, age 10
Why did you decide to become an IndyKids reporter?
Because it seemed like an interesting experience to become a journalist and be introduced to new topics that I haven’t heard about.
I’ve had a lot of fun experiences, and I’ve learnt a lot, especially during the editing process.
What topics are you interested in?
Anything that’s political, environmental and stories about people and community activists.
What is your favorite article you’ve worked on?
I learnt a lot from the article I wrote on gun violence in schools, since Parkland. It touched me. It was a lot of information that I didn’t know about until I researched it. This is reality, and it’s hurting people, so I decided to write that article because I want to put an end to it.
What did you learn from your interview with Democracy Now!’s Juan González?
I learnt to be more open-minded and listen so that I could ask follow-up questions. We talked about his activism in the Young Lords, and I learnt it’s important to speak your mind, because if you want to be an activist, you have to fight for rights.
Why is it important to be a journalist?
We need journalists because people need to be updated and informed about what’s going on. If we don’t have journalists, then people aren’t going to know what’s going on, and then they can’t take a stand for what’s going on, and actually take action for what’s right.
Do you want to be a journalist when you grow up?
I want to be a mechanical engineer when I grow up… But… my hobby is going to be journalism because I want to keep people informed and updated about what’s going on in the world.
Who is someone that you would like to interview?
I want to interview former President Barack Obama to hear his perspective on President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, and I would like to interview Michelle Obama because I want to hear her perspective, too.
I would also like to interview the executive editor of The New York Times.
