Annebelle Nooteboom is a storyteller. She had always been shy and rather introverted. So, when she stood up before an audience of digital journalists at the University of Amsterdam, her heart was pounding. She was only a few weeks into her internship with Hackastory when she had to give a presentation, which pushed her out of her comfort zone. “Having to give a presentation was really daunting, but I did it anyway. That workshop was a game changer.”

Annebelle, second from the right, with fellow Hackanauts.

Annebelle was Hackastory’s first-ever intern. She started her internship in March 2017. Armed with a major in internet journalism (which has visual, data, and tech elements) and a minor in coding, Annebelle wanted to do an internship that would specialize her in digital storytelling. A perfect fit for Hackastory. She focused on discovering new digital tools, assisting in trainings and workshops and researching the cooperation between journalists and newsroom developers.

Hackastory believes in the power of bringing different skills together. In a digital media company journalists should work side by side with newsroom developers and designers. It’s – to say the least – not common practice yet. “We were brainstorming one day and we came up with a research to learn more about the daily practices and experiences of newsroom developers. Half an hour later I had a call scheduled with Daan Louter, back then a developer at The Guardian and who now runs Flourish. At Hackastory you’re encouraged to aim high.”

Aim high, shoot for the moon!

Overcoming Shyness

Annebelle clicked well with the rest of the Hackastory team and has been working with them on a weekly basis after her internship. “I kept working for Hackastory because the cause is important and I still feel very involved. Hackastory is a company that I really believe in.”

Family

“It’s like a family,” she said. That’s a great metaphor for Hackastory and its atmosphere. “It’s a wonderful environment where motivated people can work and grow together and we soak up knowledge from each other on a daily basis.”

Her internship and continuing work with Hackastory are only the beginning of Annebelle’s storytelling journey. Check out her website to see some of the amazing longreads that she’s written. The sky is the limit!