Mar Cabra
Maria Del Mar Cabra Valero will be more than happy to explain her name to you. She will tell you that Maria Del Mar means “Mary of the Sea” and Cabra means “goat” in Spanish. And at the end of this energetic monologue, as if almost reading your mind, she will say, “But you can call me Mar.”
At 26 years old, Cabra’s passion and enthusiasm for journalism is contagious. She says she feels most strongly about telling stories highlighting the most neglected parts of society. In fact, Cabra says, that was the motive behind creating “Objetivo Solidario” (Objective Solidarity): a multi-media platform that connected NGOs with the television channel she worked for in Spain, allowing them to share stories and videos.
Cabra has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston, England. She has also studied film making and tried her hand at acting. But Cabra says she feels more productive when working behind the scenes.
Her first job in journalism was as a researcher for the BBC in Manchester, England. Cabra then moved to CNN+ (CNN’s Spain channel), where she worked as a trainee broadcast journalist. In 2006, she finally got her first break as a full-time reporter in one of Spain’s national television channels, laSexta.
When looking back at her three years in journalism, Cabra says her most remarkable moment was when she interviewed Ricardo Alarcón, the president of the National Assembly of People’s Power of Cuba.
She was posted as a special correspondent in Palestine in December 2008, right before the Gaza war, covering the daily struggles of Palestinian life.
Currently, she is a Stabile Fellow at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and is working toward her master’s degree in broadcast journalism.