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March 28, 2024
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Her Passion for Journalism: an Interview with Elena Plotnikova

Hi, Elena! You’ve accomplished so much as a top journalist published by popular outlets like Arguments And Facts and Russian American Media. Plus, you run your own YouTube channel about entrepreneurship in the US. How did you get here?

Thanks for having me. Everything happened gradually. I knew that journalism was my passion early on, while I was still at university. I did an internship at one of the largest business publications in my country and the experience I gained there was crucial to starting my career.

After working in the field for some time, I wanted to explore putting out content that was beyond the pages of magazines and newspapers. This is how my YouTube channel was born.

What is your guiding philosophy in how you approach journalism?

Developing open and trusting relationships is key. When I’m working on a story, I try to show people that I am there to listen and learn; that I am not neither above nor below them. This helps them to relax and feel like they can open up to me. Another value of mine is to always be human. This enables me not only to broach more delicate topics, but also to be more direct and ask tough questions when necessary.

Do you see journalism as a profession or a passion?

For me, journalism is a passion. You need to be curious and to love connecting with people and to be excited about investigating new things. If you don’t really love those things, I can’t imagine being able to get very far in this career. I also believe that a lack of journalistic education should not limit people from pursuing the profession. Some of the faculty I studied with at my university’s journalism program never had formal training. Conversely, only about 10% of my program alumni network now work in journalism, and instead, many have gone on to pursue other types of careers. At the end of the day, passion is my guiding light and I would advise anyone considering the path of being a journalist to really examine what they are most passionate about.

What is your favorite thing about being a journalist?

The beauty of journalism is that every day is different. Journalism means constant change. I get to learn about new topics, events and people; it’s impossible for me to get bored. Today, I might interview a pop star, tomorrow I may rush off to Germany to do a story and the day after that, I might be investigating important issues related to healthcare. There is no routine and so much novelty all the time.

Who would you most like to interview?

I was actually thinking about this recently. I do not have a specific person in mind. I will share that throughout my career, I’ve interviewed people who I never had imagined having the opportunity to meet. One example was Anna Kuznetsova, a former authorized representative for children’s rights in the Russian Federation. We had a very honest conversation about the problems in children’s boarding schools and orphanages. We ended up talking for over three hours and covered so much more than could be included in a single newspaper article. Her strength and empathy made such an impression on me and it was a privilege to be able to share her story with my readers.

How is your career developing in America now?

Right now, I’m back at university doing a graduate program and also developing a YouTube channel about entrepreneurship. I’m really excited about my channel’s growth. At first, it was a struggle to secure guests, but now, I’m being approached by lots of people who want to get involved. Recently, Marina Mogilko appeared on my channel. As a major international blogger, she revealed that she has achieved deals of up to $1.7 million and I was so honored that she took the time to work with me. Aside from that, I continue to write for major international publications and my next goal is to develop a documentary-style project for a streaming service, like Netflix or Amazon Prime.

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