What is the most important trait of a 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 惭ā苍辞补 double major in and , was hired as a reporter only a year after graduation. That’s partly because the now 23-year-old alumna held multiple internships and freelance opportunities while enrolled at the .
“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 惭ā苍辞补 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 惭ā苍辞补 and beyond through multiple learning experiences at news organizations and a nonprofit, including:
- A semester-long internship at 麻豆传媒 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) 麻豆传媒 Chapter award.
- Freelancing at Honolulu Magazine and its sister company, Frolic 麻豆传媒, 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 Honolulu Civil Beat through an SPJ summer internship, specializing in general reporting assignments.
- A five-month internship with the 厂迟补谤-础诲惫别谤迟颈蝉别谤’蝉 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.”
Read more about Budiono’s journalism journey on the .