Meet Cassandra Multi-media Director at Mercy Corps

How would you describe your job?

My first job with Mercy Corps was in the field, in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It mainly consisted in helping with communication. For example, I was tasked with informing government officials and the donors about our programs. Seven years ago Mercy Corps was a much smaller agency than it is now, and we didn’t have a communication department. So, I basically tried to do whatever was needed. That is the reason why I started to take care of media outreach and working with journalists.

Over time, as the organization started to get bigger, I shifted mainly towards communication and media coverage of conflict zones and high profile media events.I was in Iraq for a year during the invasion. I actually got there before the war started to pre-position. I wanted to discuss with the media issues like “how the war will impact the civilian population”, “what kind of humanitarian issues are they going to face”. So that became a big part of my job, to ‘advocate’ about humanitarian issues in the public sphere. Those aspects of the conflict were poorly covered and needed serious attention.

Now my job has become a little more specific, and it is mainly focused on two areas. On one side I am the Director of Multimedia, so I work on video and multimedia projects. The goal is to inform as many people as possible about the issues. I’m developing most of the videos that will be viewed in the Action Center that is opening in Portland in the fall.

On the other side, I am still the spokesperson in the field, so I’ll go wherever there is a war, a disaster or any high media event to cover. I will be there shooting videos, taking photographs and writing stories to collect as much information as possible.

What did you do before working at Mercy Corps?

I worked for a magazine company in New York for about two years. It was a very different kind of journalism from what I am doing now, and it was manly directed toward women. I also worked on TV as an editor of a program which gave me great experience. At the time though I didn’t really have much knowledge of journalism in a conflict zones, but you can’t really get training for that. So, after 9/11 I decided to go and cover the war on my own, and six months later I started to work for Mercy Corps.

What’s a typical day like?

It is hard to say because I travel the 70% of the time, and I generally know when I am leaving and where I am going a couple of hours before. Especially considering that I generally cover emergencies.

Could you tell me some of the benefits and challenges of your job?

One of the main challenges is the unpredictability of my job. It is hard for me to plan anything in advance or to have any possible routine because I never know when I am going to be home and when it’s time to leave. I would love to have a pet but considering my schedule it’s impossible to even take care of a plant.

On the other hand though, I love my job. I have the chance to be out in the field, which means meeting different cultures and get to know them. A big part of my job is to report about people, and in order to do so I have to be able to spend time with them and know who they are, their family, how they cook, their daily life, their dreams, hopes and fears. And trust me, you meet the most incredible people in the world, it is simply amazing. Most of the time they are facing horrible situations and their strength, kindness and heroism is incredibly inspiring. Their generosity is also unbelievable. Indeed I see people who have lost everything and yet if they had something left they would still give it away.So I would say that the people and the cultures that I get to experience are what make my job wonderful.

What is your educational background?

I have a Bachelors degree in Art History with a minor in photography, and also a Masters degree in Communications. 

Where are you from?

I am from Portland, Oregon.

What led you to choose this career?

I wanted to tell stories and bring these stories to the public. I am also incredibly curious and interested in getting to know people who live in parts of the world where you wouldn’t go on vacation and that you wouldn’t otherwise meet.

What skills do you need to work in this field?

I would say that you have to be independent. When I am out in the field I am generally by myself or with a driver, who are normally really nice, but still you are there to do your own thing and you don’t have a boss giving you directions. At one point in my career I didn’t meet my boss for three years! So, you have to be able to be your own boss and be passionate about what you are doing.

What advice would you give to students interested in this field?

The best advice is to develop many skills. To be out in the field and able to afford all of your expenses the best way to survive is to take photographs, shoot videos and tell stories and not only focus on one of those skills.Technology is constantly evolving, so to be aware of new communication channels is crucial to success.

Also, other advice in terms of beginning this career would be to focus on what really interest you, maybe it’s an issue you are passionate about or a story you want to investigate. Then go to the field and start working on it, on your own. Only once you are already there and have collected some material, only then, can you knock on NGO’s doors and introduce yourself. The simple fact that you are there will be a proof for them that you can handle this type of job and you won’t simply be another resume on their desk. This is actually the way I started and it worked out. So it’s my best advice for students.

What do you do to stay fresh / sane?

I love sports, scubadiving, skiing, and all sorts of other activities. I manage to fit them in my job as much as possible. For example, if I have to go to Africa I know that I will be able to scubadive there. Recently I was in Gaza and I drove down to the Red Sea and spent a week diving. It’s really nice because I couldn’t afford to go on vacation there. But considering that I am working there you might as well enjoy it.

Basically because my life style is so uncertain I wouldn’t be able to organize it around my interests, I have to do the opposite and develop personal interests around it, which turns out to be great.