What is the most important trait of an ideal journalist? It’s helpful to be a strong communicator. But ask editors and newsroom leaders what professional strengths are highly valued, and the answers include tenacity, curiosity and, perhaps foremost, someone with high ethical standards who is meticulous about fact-checking.
In May 2024, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser found someone who fit the bill. Victoria Budiono, a UH Mānoa double major in journalism and psychology, was hired as a reporter only a year after graduation. That’s partly because the now 23-year-old held multiple internships and freelance opportunities while enrolled at the College of Social Sciences.
“We couldn’t be prouder of Victoria, or more grateful to UH, for preparing one promising student after another for our annual winter and summer internships,” said Dan Nakaso, Star-Advertiser Capitol Bureau chief. “Victoria quickly earned a reputation as a promising, smart, curious and respectful journalist who understood the importance of double- and triple-checking facts. Now she’s a general assignment reporter covering personal tragedies, triumphs, and everything in between.”
Budiono grew up in Jakarta, Indonesia, and came to UH Mānoa after working on school newsletters and magazines from elementary through high school. “I’ve always loved writing, talking to people and hearing their stories,” she said. “Through reporting, I saw how these stories could bring attention to issues that often went unnoticed, especially in Indonesia, where many topics are considered taboo and people are often taught not to air their ‘dirty laundry.’”
Her passion for journalism grew throughout her three years at UH Mānoa and beyond through multiple learning experiences at news organizations and a nonprofit, including:
- A semester-long internship at Hawaiʻi Business Magazine, during which she contributed to a “My Jobs” series on people with unusual careers. She later returned as a freelance writer, producing feature stories that earned her a Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Hawaiʻi Chapter award.
- Freelancing at Honolulu Magazine and its sister company, Frolic Hawaiʻi, where she wrote articles and did social media posts for the food and lifestyle website.
- A five-month internship at the Aloha Harvest marketing/communications department, where she helped to write reports, update mailing lists and produce a newsletter for the food rescue nonprofit.
- Working at the Honolulu Civil Beat news site through an SPJ summer internship, specializing in general reporting assignments.
- A five-month internship with the Star-Advertiser’s Capitol Bureau, which transitioned into a full-time job as a general assignment reporter once the legislative session ended.
Budiono said she enjoys the eclectic nature of her work. “Because I don’t cover a single beat, I am constantly learning about new topics and meeting people from different backgrounds,” she said. “On any given day, I might be reporting on government issues, housing, insurance, education or community events – subjects I knew very little about beforehand.”
She is also mindful that the public’s confidence must be earned with every article. That’s why, of her many awards and scholarships, the most meaningful is her $1,500 Carol Burnett Award for Responsible Journalism in 2023. The fund was endowed in 1981 following Burnett’s successful libel suit against the National Enquirer. “It recognizes things that I value very deeply as a reporter: integrity, responsibility and ethical journalism. This is a field in which trust matters.”
She added that her biggest challenge at the daily may be covering stories involving tragedy, loss and hardship, like reporting on the aftermath of the Maui wildfires or flooded-out properties from the Kona low storms. Even writing about families struggling with the high cost of living can take an emotional toll on her, she said. But Budiono said she’s growing and learning every day, with a dream of exploring long-form storytelling through documentaries or a docuseries.
She disagrees with the dire prediction that daily newspapers and TV news broadcasts will disappear, noting that the younger generation still wants to stay informed while immersed in social media. “People consume news differently than they did 20 years ago and news organizations have had to adapt,” Budiono said. “Many traditional media outlets now publish stories online, create videos, produce podcasts and engage with audiences through social media. Communities will always need accurate information, accountable reporting and trustworthy storytellers, regardness of whether that information is delivered through a newspaper, television broadcast, website or phone screen.”
In addition, Budiono said one of the biggest misconceptions about majoring in journalism is that a graduate must work in a traditional newsroom to be fulfilled. In actuality, she said, the degree imparts skills that are useful in any profession, because all companies value effective communication, and the ability to do research and process large amounts of information quickly. “Through my internships, I found that many skills are transferrable across industries,” she said. “Even if a journalism graduate never works a day in traditional media, the ability to ask good questions, tell compelling stories and communicate effectively will always be a valued commodity.
