Gaia Manco

Multilingual multimedia journalist. Portfolio 2010-2017

This is a selection of pieces from my published work as multimedia journalist for the period 2010-2017.
My work digs international news and finds the human interest behind events and numbers. I wrote articles and produced video and audio reports about society, culture, development, science, crime and much more. I was a enthusiastic podcast producer and host.

In 2017 I joined the communication department at the European Parliament as digital editor, facing the most challenging task of my professional life: communicating to the public the dream of a European integration.

Italian by birth, French by choice, European by values, I've been at home in three continents.
Maybe we've met in Johannesburg, Paris, Accra, Libreville, Boston, Beijing or Leipzig. Now, you will most likely find me in Brussels.

When I do not write, I travel, bake and make mistakes.

Portfolio

Spotlight

DW.COM
11/09/2016
Pulse: South African students' struggle for free higher education | All media content | DW.COM |...

South African university students are continuing the struggle for a free decolonised higher education. The protests of 2016 reignited when in October the government allowed universities to increase fees for 2017, after any increase was frozen for 2016. As an emergency response to demonstrations, which in some cases ended with violence, universities decided to close their doors while still holding end of year exams. The protesters are first and foremost students and had to cope with the fact...

DW.COM
09/20/2016
Pulse: Why hair matters | All media content | DW.COM | 20.09.2016

The subject of hair and how you wear it has made headlines in South Africa. Back in August, a group of students at Pretoria Girls High School staged a protest against a school policy they say banned their natural hair, requiring them to chemically straighten or braid it to conform to the school's strict code of conduct.

Deutsche Welle DW English
11/05/2013
Gabon blind street poet -PULSE- DW Culture

He may be blind, but 20-year-old Eric is determined to see change in his country, Gabon. He makes his living singing rap songs, weaving the discontent he hears around him into his texts - and demanding change.

Rai
11/03/2016
In Sudafrica è esplosa la Primavera

Non si placano le proteste degli studenti universitari sudafricani esplose a settembre, dopo l'annuncio del ministro dell'Istruzione superiore - Iama Nzimande - di un aumento delle tasse universitarie per l'anno accademico 2016-2017. Spetterà alle università sudafricane applicare l'aumento sulle tasse accademiche, che dovrebbe aggirarsi intorno all'otto per cento. La decisione crea un profondo divario sociale fra studenti abbienti e meno abbienti con un reddito familiare ridotto e riaccende...

RSI RETE DUE
07/13/2016
RSI.CH Rete Due Proteste in Zimbabwe

Dalla fine di giugno di quest’anno in Zimbabwe si susseguono proteste, repressioni, scioperi e rivolte. Dall’indipendenza, avvenuta nel 1980, il Paese è sempre stato governato da Robert Mugabe, ormai 92enne. Ora lo Zimbabwe sembra per la prima volta realmente vicino al cambiamento. Gaia Manco, di ritorno da Harare, la capitale dello Zimbabwe.

DW.COM
10/08/2016
Fun and Games | Pulse | Radio plan englisch | 03.08.16 | DW.COM

A new electronic music project with a difference is teaching respect and tolerance in South Africa. Put down your smartphones - an old past-time is making a come-back in a big way -and it might just help you score a date! Batuk, a club act with a message A new electronic music project, Batuk, is making people dance in the clubs of Johannesburg, South Africa. But Batuk is not the average club act. This house music spreads a universal message of respect among people, by mixing African...

Dailymaverick
06/23/2015
Raj Patel: Don't be tempted by green consumerism

Data from the World Health Organisation show worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980. In 2014 over 600 million adults were obese. At the same time, here in Sub-Saharan Africa, one person in four is undernourished*. How, then, to improve food consumption and distribution?

Elezioni locali in Sud Africa: l'ANC è sofferente | Radio24
08/05/2016
Elezioni locali in Sud Africa: l'ANC è sofferente | Radio24

Il 3 agosto si sono tenute le elezioni locali in 278 comuni sudafricani. Il risultato mostra un sostanzioso calo di consensi da parte dell'African National Congress, a favore di una avanzata della Democratic Alliance e del partito di estrema sinistra Economic Freedom Fighters. La Malesia è un paese dinamico in grande sviluppo. Gaia Manco lo racconta da Pretoria per Radio24

RSI
09/13/2016
Arte contemporanea africana -Live correspondence from JHB for RSI 13.9.2016-

Si è appena conclusa la fiera dell’arte contemporanea di Johannesburg, Sudafrica, uno spazio di primo piano per la produzione artistica di tutto il continente africano. La fiera rappresenta per l’Africa quello che la nostra Art Basel rappresenta per l’arte in Occidente. Nella fiera Joburg Art fair, questo il suo nome, sono state presentate opere di ogni tipo, dalla scultura, alla pittura, dal video ai tessuti: ci colleghiamo adesso con Gaia Manco a Johannesburg, che ha visitato la fiera per noi.

DW.COM
07/12/2015
Meet the Afrofuturists World in Progress | DW.COM

World in Progress explores issues of globalization, education, economic development, poverty alleviation, human rights and more. On this week's program: The water crisis facing residents in the Pacific Island nation of Kiribati, and how heat-resistant beans can help farmers cope with global warming. Plus, German startups step up to the sustainability plate, and the new generation of artists using science fiction to create a different future for Africa. Details Date: 01.12.2015 Type:...

Rai
Sudafrica: i guai di Zuma

E' stata ritenuta irrazionale la decisione di non processare l'attuale presidente del Sudafrica, Jacob Zuma. Lo ritiene l'Alta Corte di Giustizia di Pretoria che ha deciso di riaccendere i riflettori sui guai giudiziari del presidente sudafricano bocciando così il mancato rinvio a giudizio, nel 2009. Zuma sarà in grado di terminare il suo mandato?

DW.COM
09/12/2015
Get futuristic in Africa!

Wouldn't the world be a boring place if we were all the same? Today on Pulse we're going to delve into the realms of self-expression and the arts - we go inside the studio of a tattoo artist in the Old City of Jerusalem. Get futuristic in Africa.

Dradiowissen
Medizin - Impfstoff gegen Malaria

Gaia Manco und Mark Michel begleiten Ärzte in einer afrikanischen Klinik, die den Wirkstoff an Patienten testen Besser als gar kein Schutz vor Malaria: Moskitonetze. (picture-alliance | dpa) Gut 30 Jahre hat es gedauert, nun will der Pharmakonzern Glaxo Smith Kline den ersten Malaria-Impfstoff auf den Markt bringen: RTS,S heißt der Wirkstoff, der nun in Afrika getestet wird.

My radio shows

Spreaker
Accidentally in Joburg

Io volevo andare a Parigi e a Pechino. Il resto è successo, praticamente per caso, dicendo "perché no?" Podcast + immagini su tutto ciò che è troppo interessante per fare notizia

Radio Bullets
Yebo! L'Africa è in onda

Yebo! in Zulu significa Sì! ed è un intercalare comune in Sudafrica. Yebo! per Gaia Manco, che realizza questa rubrica da Johannesburg, rappresenta un continente che si da fare, che risponde positivamente. Yebo! ogni settimana racconta le storie dall'Africa sub-sahariana e di quelle donne e quegli uomini che, fra mille sfide, ne stanno costruendo il futuro.

Op-Eds

Le Donne Visibili
01/08/2016
Per le strade di Colonia

The Italian editorial that went viral. Almost 65.000 visits in less than a week! Parigi 2005 tornando a casa la sera con la mia coinquilina, nel decimo arrondissement: un uomo ci segue, ci fa delle proposte volgari, ci allontaniamo, lo ignoriamo, continua, abbiamo paura, ci insegue per un tratto di strada finché arriviamo in un viale più trafficato. 2008 Mercato Bastille, a fare la spesa il sabato...

Thoughtleader
On the streets of Cologne

By Gaia Manco Paris 2005 Evening, I'm walking home with my roommate, we live in the 10th arrondissement: A man follows us, makes vulgar advances, we walk away, we ignore him. He doesn't stop, we are afraid, he keeps on following us until we get to a busier avenue.

Radiovaticana
Colonia, amplificazione di ordinarie aggressioni alle donne

"Per dimensioni, organizzazione, numero e intensità, un evento come quello di Colonia mai sicuramente prima d'ora è accaduto, o comunque mai se n'è avuta notizia. E' stato purtroppo l'apice di ciò che in misura minore ci accade tutti i giorni".

More international reporting

RSI RETE DUE
07/01/2016
Christmas in July

Una curiosità sulla società sudafricana: Christmas in July. Siccome ci troviamo nell’emisfero Sud, i sudafricani stanno prendendo l’abitudine di festeggiare una sorta di Natale a luglio, perché quello è il nostro inverno. Questo dà l’occasione per trovarsi intorno al fuoco, bere gluehwein e mangiare piatti sostanziosi che, appunto, in Europa si mangerebbero a Natale. Il nostro inverno non ha nulla a che vedere col vostro però: ogni giorno splende il sole e non si è mai vista la neve, anche se...

RSI
08/29/2016
La festa dell’Umhlanga -Live correspondence from JHB for RSI 29.8.2016-

In questi giorni a cavallo fra Agosto e Settembre si tiene in Sudafrica e Swaziland una delle feste tradizionali più famose di tutta l’Africa, l’Umhlanga, che potremmo tradurre come “La danza delle Canne”. Si tratta di una festa lunga diversi giorni durante la quale le ragazze danzano per le famiglie reali locali. E’ il momento dell’anno in cui si celebra la cultura secolare del sud dell’Africa.

RSI
08/16/2016
“Johannesburg, la città che cambia” Live correspondence from JHB for RSI 16.8.2016

Johannesburg, in Sudafrica, è conosciuta come una città pericolosa, in cui in molti quartieri sono chiamati “no-go areas”, aree dove dove, se si ha a cuore la propria sicurezza, è meglio non avventurarsi. Ma proprio in questi quartieri del centro, dove i grattacieli sono ormai abbandonati a loro stessi, sorgono bolle di sviluppo urbano. Edifici rimessi a nuovo secondo le ultime tendenze dell’architettura, ristoranti che offrono piatti provenienti da ogni parte dell’Africa e del mondo,...

Rai
11/12/2014
LIVE FROM BEIJING, CATERPILLARAM RAI RADIO2

Another live report from Beijing for the Italian radio. This time I talk about the APEC Summit that is ending today in Beijing. Did you know which shade APEC blue is? You can find the podcast on CaterpillarAm, Radio2Rai page Details Date: 12.11.2014 Type: 10 min Radio live two-way Language: Italian Outlet: CaterpillarAm, Radio2Rai Place: Beijing, China Note: I am in China thanks to the “Media Ambassador” programme of the Robert Bosch Foundation.

Rai
10/01/2014
Live from Tiananmen square on Caterpillar AM

I didn’t expect my first gig as a German journalist in China to be on… Italian radio. Tiananmen Square was full of umbrellas, but I’m afraid that the analogies with the Honk Kong demonstrations stop here. Details Date: 1.10.2014 Type: 10 min Radio live two-way Language: Italian Outlet: CaterpillarAm, Radio2Rai Place: Beijing, China Note: I am in China thanks to the “Media Ambassador” programme of the Robert Bosch Foundation.

Funkhaus Europa, WDR
05/13/2014
Il tema: Una moschea in Sassonia

Il progetto di una moschea a Lipsia ha dato vita a un dibattito infuocato e a tensioni inaspettate in una città fino ad oggi ritenuta tollerante.

DW
08/19/2014
Skating towards a brighter future Pulse | DW Radio English | 19.08.14 | DW.DE

If you grow up in a place plagued by crime and unemployment, like the inner city of Johannesburg, you might think your fate is already mapped out for you. But, a skateboarding crew is aiming to change all that. Ayanda Mnyandu wants to change the way young people in his neighborhood think about themselves – by introducing them to skateboarding. DW’s Gaia Manco went to meet Ayanda at the Troyeville skate park in Johannesburg, to discover what skateboarding is able to teach about life in a...

Globaltimes
Tasty tour for Christmas

Santa Claus goes through his mail in Napapiiri, Finland. Photos: IC A woman and child with Santa Claus dolls in a furniture store in Leipzig, Germany Zuzu women dancing in Lesedi Cultural Village near Johannesburg, South Africa Demonstrators surround a Christmas tree at City Hall in Philadelphia, the US.

Global Times
11/15/2014
One apple cake a day

As the weather continues to get chilly you've probably started to feel the need to comfort yourself with food. What better than a heart-warming apple cake? Apples are excellent for your health, being rich in fiber, vitamin C and antioxidants. Plus let's face it, they're delicious with butter and sugar. I love to taste and bake cakes from around the world and note recipes down in my blog in my spare time. So here I've made a short selection of recipes - all tested - of an all-time classic:...

Dw
06/05/2014
On two wheels out of poverty, Pulse DW Culture

A young German cyclist repairs used bikes and ships them to African countries. There, they're not just a way to get some exercise, but can be an essential means of transportation for small business owners.

Global Times
11/29/2014
Food for the soul

As a result of a growing concern about environmental protection and food safety, Chinese consumers are turning their attention towards organic food. "Organic" means that the food is produced by farmers who do not use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, chemical additives or GMO seeds. In addition to that, organic farmers try and reduce the impact of their farming on the soil and in general on the environment. Because of the way it is produced, organic food tends to be more expensive than...

Global Times
11/08/2014
Surprising holidays

The APEC meeting is bringing leaders from all over the world to Beijing. More importantly, the occasion of the summit is giving many of us a few extra free days. If you are among the lucky ones and want to escape the hustle and bustle of the capital, here are a few tips for how to best enjoy the short break.

Radio Colonia, Funkhauseuropa, WDR
11/04/2013
L'Italia che piace a Lipsia - Radio Colonia - Sendungen - Funkhaus Europa

La 56esima edizione del festival del documentario e del film d'animazione di Lipsia ha visto protagonisti i registi italiani. La Colomba d'oro come miglior documentario straniero è andata a "Stop the pounding heart” del regista italiano Roberto Minervini. Il documentario è una co-produzione americana, belga e italiana. Anche la Colomba d'oro per il miglior documentario tedesco è stata vinta da un italiano, il friulano Carlo Zoratti, regista di "The special need”.

Dw
10/16/2013
At 50 percent efficacy the RTS,S malaria vaccine will not be a stand-alone solution

Scientists in Africa are in the final stages of trials for a malaria vaccine that's raising hopes of reducing child infections - and deaths - by half. But is 50 percent good enough? Figures from the World Health Organization suggest that malaria infects more than 200 million people every year - causing 700,000 deaths around the world.

Dw
10/14/2013
Impfung gegen Malaria verspricht Erfolge

Bei einer Konferenz im südafrikanischen Durban haben Forscher die neuesten Ergebnisse einer großangelegten Malaria-Impfstudie vorgestellt. Daran beteiligt waren Kliniken in sieben Ländern Afrikas. Die Albert-Schweitzer-Klinik in Lambarené ist Teil einer breiten Anti-Malaria-Allianz In Gabun erkrankt jedes Kind durchschnittlich einmal im Jahr an Malaria. Für Forscher ist es der ideale Ort, um eine neue Impfung zu erproben.

Deutsche Welle
03/26/2013
Design spans generation gap in aging Germany

What would their grandparents say? That's what design students from two German schools asked themselves. They found that designing everyday objects for the elderly is both a creative challenge and a smart career move.

DW.DE
07/09/2013
Gold medals for good, old-fashioned skills

Last week, more than a thousand skilled apprentices competed against each other for the gold medal in their trade - everything from car painting to floristry. Worldskills in Leipzig is the Olympics of vocational training.

Deutsche Welle
04/02/2013
Student designers step into their grandparents' shoes

Their bodies are still strong and they haven't spent much time at cemeteries. The challenge for a group of German design students was to meet the needs of people three times their age with innovative everyday objects.

Deutsche Welle English
09/18/2012
Empowering Chinese kids with books

Mao Ju, 29, was concerned when she found out that many Chinese children don’t read for fun. She founded a free library in Beijing, for migrant children in particular, to help them discover the pleasure of reading. She involves the kids in the management of the library and encourages them to express their own opinions on the library blog. Listen to the report by Gaia Manco in Beijing:

Radio Colonia, WDR
05/22/2013
L'est che non ti aspetti

[Radio report, Italian, German public radio] Lontani dalle mete di emigrazione tradizionali, alcuni italiani hanno raggiunto il successo nell'impresa, nell'arte e nella cultura a Lipsia, in Sassonia. Tre di loro si raccontano.

Deutsche Welle English
06/19/2012
Ghanaian choreographer looks after street children

Jay, 28, is passionate about preserving traditional African dance – and about watching out for the street kids in the impoverished city of Accra. She and her husband Nii, a drummer, have founded a dancing troupe whose purpose is not only to spread West African dance theater but also to improve local children’s lives. 5 minute reportage recorded, written and edited by Gaia Manco

Deutsche Welle DW English
10/14/2013
Malaria vaccine in sight?

Eleven research centers in Africa are completing the testing of a malaria vaccine, which, if approved and introduced to the market, could reduce the number of cases of the disease in children by 50 percent. That’s the aim, anyway.

Deutsche Welle Radio
01/21/2013
Women fighting for the right

In Europe, only 17 per cent of researchers in the natural sciences are women. Their experiences can shed light on why women remain underrepresented. A profile of Dr Alya Pender at the Leibniz Institute for Surface Modification in Leipzig.

Local

Rai Radio 2 [Italian national public broadcaster]
04/29/2011
Like a republican at a Royal wedding

[Correspondence, Italian] On April 27th, 28th and 29th I reported for the radio shows “Caterpillar” and "28 minuti"as Royal wedding reporter

WDR, Radio Colonia
02/22/2013
To Lipsia, with love

[interview, Italian, German public radio] Ha vissuto e lavorato in Inghilterra e in Francia, prima di approdare in Sassonia, a Lipsia. Gaia Manco, 30 anni, giornalista per radio e tv, proprio per la sua ultima città d'adozione ha ideato "The Leipziger".

Leipzig Zeitgeist
07/02/2012
Leipzig Eats: Stelzenhaus

[Restaurant review] Bike riding doesn't mean having to give up on the finer things of life.

Dw
11/26/2013
Design for the disabled

Design For those with limited mobility, everyday activities can become impossible. A group of German design students set out to find creative - and stylish - solutions to make the lives of the disabled just a bit easier.

European Journalism Centre
03/04/2013
Six Ways The World Can Learn From Ghana About Press Freedom

The West African nation of Ghana is listed among the top 30 nations on the latest Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, scoring far above the majority of African countries as well as EU members such as France, Spain and Italy. What is Ghana doing right?

Leipzig Zeitgeist
05/01/2012
Bologna: more than a sister, a twin

Bologna is a university city with a vibrant cultural life. It hold a special place in the history of music and it has a tradition of political activism. Does any of this ring a bell?

Multimedia documentary production

Online multimedia documentary
07/05/2011
21st century hidden epidemic: a European journey through depression

In Europe depression is the leading cause of disability and every year 18 to 21 million people suffer from it. Around half of the cases are unrecognised, undiagnosed, and untreated. The multitude of therapies, the fear of antidepressants, taboos, prejudices and the shame always connected with a mental illness have put a lid on this widespread disease. Let this multimedia investigation guide you through the "madness" of depression.

Media coverage

Entrepreneurial journalism + local journalism + recklessness = The Leipziger

The Leipziger
01/24/2013
Leipzig elections 2013

On Sunday -27 January 2013- you will be called to vote for Leipzig’s next mayor. I met the candidates for you, so that you can have a clearer idea before going to the ballot box.

The Leipziger
03/19/2013
Gorbachev in Leipzig, voices from the square

On the occasion of the visit of Mikhail Gorbachev in Leipzig, on 15 March 2013, Leipzigers gathered inside and around Peterskirche (Sudvorstadt) to see him presenting his book about his life with beloved (late) wife Raiss

Focus: Crime

La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno
07/01/2011
Ergastolo a Danilo Restivo. "Ci accolse, ma era lui il killer"

[Investigative journalism, Italian] "Danilo Restivo è stato condannato all’ergastolo per l’omicidio di Heather Barnett commesso con crudeltà e premeditazione, ha sentenziato il giudice del tribunale di Winchester ieri 30 giugno."

About me

Giornalisti al Microfono
04/19/2018
Come trovare il proprio posto nel mondo, tra lavoro e vita - con Gaia Manco (S01 E14)

L'ospite della quattordicesima intervista è Gaia Manco, una giornalista che oggi vive e lavora a Bruxelles per il Parlamento Europeo. Gaia ha viaggiato e lavorato in tutto il mondo, in particolare in Europa e in Sud-Africa. Si è laureata in Studi Diplomatici all'Università di Westminster e in Giornalismo Multimediale all'Università di Bournemouth.

Rai
Puntata 37 | Martedì 24 novembre 2015

Ospiti: Andrea Veschini, cantante, presenta il suo brano "Il delirio di Marta"; Raffaele Masto, giornalista di Radio Popolare e ideatore del blog "Buongiorno Africa"; in collegamento da Johannesburg, Gaia Manco, giornalista e blogger. Infocommunity: Marco Calabrese, avvocato esperto in controversie internazionali.

The about.me Blog
11/09/2015
Passport To Italy

Benvenuto in Italia! This week we travel to Italy, home to many talented artists, entrepreneurs, athletes and authors in our community. Today we're given a snapshot of a day in the Italian life through the pages of Stefania, Marco, Gaia and Maurizio. We hope you enjoy reading their stories as much as we do.

TV + Online

Al Jazeera English
Activate

Researcher and assistant producer April 2011