MAG42 speaks to Vjosa Cerkini about decision to became a journalist and fashion.
MAG42: Vjosa, what made you decide to be a journalist?
I always wanted to interview people and to know their stories. I wanted to be the voice of everybody. One of the main reasons was that I had to flee as a child because of the war in Kosovo, but I didn’t understand that all during that time. I wanted to find out the background and understand the motivation of the people involved. So I always knew what I wanted from life. To be a journalist was the best decision.
MAG42: Describe to me your work day.
Most of the time I’m travelling. So, it is always different. I never have the same routine. It depends on which location I do my investigations or which topic I have to research. So when I’m in Pristina I have a lot of meetings and I contact people and make appointments for my work, with specialists or other Journalists. When I’m in Germany it is more hectic, because of the way Germans work.
Foto: Private Arhiv
MAG42: Where have you travelled to for work?I travel continuously. Because of work, I am always in different places, with different people, reporting on interesting topics.
I am mostly in Germany and Kosovo, since work connects me more. But most of the time I am in the Balkans. I reported from Spain, Italy, Moldova, Poland and other European countries.
MAG42: How do you handle stress or pressure when working on a high-profile or sensitive story?
It is really hard to handle stress or pressure when I investigate a high profile or sensitive story. I have had different experiences, I have interviewed people who have committed some of the biggest crimes in Europe, but at the same time I have also interviewed people traumatised by the last war in Kosovo, with whom I had to be extremely careful every moments like in the way I asked the questions or even in the way I just talked to those people.It is difficult to be a journalist, because people always have the tendency to approach you in order to achieve a certain goal. Often the need to report in real time on topics that are very sensitive have made the job even more stressful. But, so far, I have somehow managed to cope with both stress and pressure.
MAG42: Do you like fashion?I have always liked fashion. Fashion is related to beauty. I really like the details, the colours, the combinations. My mother is very creative and talented in this direction. I inherited this from her. Since 2016, I also have my own clothing brand VJONO where you usually can find all my collections and designs, which I made myself. Fashion is elegance. Fashion is art and I use this opportunity to express my creativity in any form.
MAG42: Message for Fashionmag42 readers.
I would recommend everybody to use their capacity and talents they have as much as possible. Don’t give up, be creative, be motivated, travel a lot and read books as much as possible.
