‘I often say that I did not choose journalism, but that journalism chose me,’ confesses Israel Campos, a native of Luanda, Angola. Before embracing this world, his childhood dream was to be like the renowned Angolan artist Álvaro Macieira and, later, he became passionate about Veterinary Medicine.

But thanks to a happy coincidence, journalism prevailed. And, years later, Israel says: ‘my childhood self is still surprised, just as I am today, by the surprises that occur to me in life and the many dreams that are born every day.’

The first surprise came at the age of 12, when he was invited to talk about a story he had written on Rádio Nacional de Angola (RNA), where he ended up staying for almost a decade. ‘I learnt early on, as a children's announcer at RNA, the value of serving people through communication. To this day, this remains the same motivation for my work: to use the journalistic platforms I have access to in order to tell silenced stories, diversify the type of voices that have access to the public space and scrutinise the actions of the different powers that govern our societies,’ shares the journalist.

This led him to the master's degree in Strategic Communication and Leadership at the Faculty of Human Sciences of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa.  During the degree, he had the opportunity to participate in the Lisbon Winter School, which sparked his interest in scientific research, which he sees as an ‘escape.’

‘In academia I find a place to think and reflect deeply on the subjects that interest me, with more time, and probably produce some knowledge that is useful for rethinking the different dimensions of our societies,’ the alumnus explains. With the aim of contributing to democratisation, Israel focused his study at Católica on ‘the role of Facebook as a communication platform for revolutionary and reformist social movements in Angola.’

From the master's degree, one of the most prestigious programmes in Europe, he also highlights the role of supervisor Naíde Müller and journalism professor Jessica Roberts in his ‘memorable experience’ at the Universidade Católica.

The journey so far has been full of achievements, such as the European Union Prize for ‘Best Narrative on Climate’ and, more recently, the 2nd edition of the Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda/Angola Literature Prize in 2024, with the work Baloiço de Memória, and conquests, such as the publication of his debut novel, E o Céu Mudou de Cor, in 2023. But among all of these, the alumnus highlights the 2024 Press Freedom Award from the Angolan Journalists' Union, for his work “As Viúvas da Seca de Angola”, published in Voz da América.

‘This award, which I dedicated to all young Angolan journalists with an interest in journalism as a service of public utility, reinforced my belief in the importance of journalism as a defender of issues of public interest, as well as its importance in consolidating democratic practice, promoting the pluralisation of voices in the public arena.’

As a member of Portugal's presidential reflection group, he hopes ‘that young people in Portugal - both Portuguese and those who come from different parts of the world to contribute to the country on a daily basis - are given the necessary opportunities for their education so that they can make a valuable contribution to society.’

Having completed his master's degree at Católica and already studying for a PhD at the University of Leeds, he says: ‘I intend to use my professional experience as a journalist and my interest in academia to make a useful contribution to the processes of democratisation and the defence of human rights in Africa and around the world.’