Welcome to The Diplomat’s Cabinet!

Recently, I decided to return to my communication roots and explore the intersection of media and politics with a more critical eye. As the global media landscape becomes noisier – and more fragmented – it's worth asking: could scale be the problem?

In this edition of The Diplomat's Cabinet, we zoom in (literally). From misinformation to democratic disinterest, the flaws we see in national politics often start at the local level, but... so do the solutions, it seems.

Last week I sat down with political scientist and co-founder of The New Bedford Light, Dr. Daniela Melo, to ask whether a return to trusted, community-rooted reporting could offer an answer to mainstream media’s crisis of legitimacy.

Also in this issue: the resources, jobs and opportunities section is back in full force. As always, I've included a brief reflection on my career, and we may or may not have a full career-related podcast episode coming out next Monday (April 21).

If you enjoy this edition, consider forwarding, subscribing, listening, engaging, feedback’ing (much appreciated). And don’t forget I'm always looking for a good story to tell.

See you next Wednesday! – Luísa

In this edition

• The Cabinet asks: What impact does a local Massach …

• The latest TDC episode: Will Germany drop its femi …

• The Career Diplomat’s whiteboard

• The toolkit for Diplomats at heart

The Cabinet asks: What impact does a local Massachusetts newspaper have on saving democracy?

Last week on The Diplomat’s Cabinet Podcast, I sat down with political scientist and co-founder of The New Bedford Light, Dr. Daniela Melo, to ask a deceptively simple question: At a time of global distrust, media funding crisis and democratic fatigue, can journalism be revived?

Dr. Melo’s answer? Yes. But it has to be rebuilt from the ground up.

Enter local journalism, which focuses on reporting events, issues and people in a specific geographical area, providing information relevant to the community and fostering links with its residents. In New Bedford, Massachusetts — a city that became a “news desert” after decades of media consolidation and newsroom closures, as has happened elsewhere in the world — Daniela and a small group of concerned citizens created a nonprofit investigative outlet rooted in community needs and accountability. The Light was born not out of media ambition per se, but out of a local pizza night, where weekly political conversations turned into civic action. The group’s goal was clear: restore trust in information, one local story at a time.

The local publication’s model is nonprofit, but the mission is public service. Can the lessons be global? At a time when information bubbles are getting bigger and national media can seem distant, local journalism offers something that can't be replicated: proximity. As Daniela says, when neighbours discuss the stories and the newspaper sees the impact on its own community and network, the connection to democracy becomes tangible over and over again. From the point of view of the role of the mainstream media in society, local journalism seems to be an effective tool for restoring public trust.

Here are three takeaways from Dr. Melo’s experience:

1. Trust is relational, not just institutional. Local journalists live among their audience. This closeness creates both accountability and credibility.

2. Non-profit models work, especially when founded and managed by respected, community-oriented local figures.

3. Small newsrooms can have big impact. The Light’s investigations have sparked national conversations and even congressional responses.

As media ecosystems struggle globally — from underfunded local outlets to state-controlled news — The New Bedford Light’s story isn’t just American (yes, it is very American, and I can envision a movie about this topic in a few years). It’s a reminder that democracy doesn’t start and end in Brussels or Washington — it may just start with knowing who your mayor is, and having someone around to ask them the right questions.

This is journalism not as spectacle, but as service. And isn't that exactly how journalism should be all over the world?

The latest TDC episode: Will Germany drop its feminist foreign policy?

In 2023, Germany made headlines by committing to a bold feminist approach to foreign and development policy, then led by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.

In April 2025, a new coalition agreement formed by the CDU/CSU (Conservatives) and the SPD (Social Democrats) was launched – and the words “feminist foreign policy” are nowhere to be found in the document.

In this new episode of The Diplomat's Cabinet, researcher and gender, peace and security expert Leonie Stamm, from the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), tells us what this silent omission means for Germany, for Europe and for feminist policymaking in an era of hard security and geopolitics.

The Career Diplomat’s whiteboard

This week’s career reflection stems from something Dr. Daniela Melo told me shortly after we began receiving such generous feedback on our podcast episode: “It’s amazing when you realize the impact of putting your ideas into practice.” And I would add: especially when those ideas reflect your worldview — and are designed with others in mind.

One lesson I’ve had to learn this year is that not everything we build brings immediate rewards, and life will often test our resilience, ambition, and belief in ourselves through delayed gratification.

It's tempting to wait for the perfect moment, or to try to control all the variables to achieve the desired results. But in truth, it’s the consistent, small steps — posting, commenting, brainstorming, inviting — that create momentum. Even when the response feels like silence. Even when no one seems to be watching. Even when you absolutely doubt yourself (and we all doubt ourselves from time to time).

For the past year and a half, my business has taught me the value of showing up for my ideas — not just when it’s rewarding, but when it’s quiet, too. The Diplomat’s Cabinet is, in many ways, my own case study in delayed gratification.

What’s yours?

The toolkit for Diplomats at heart

RESOURCES

• A question that's been keeping me awake this week: was Blue Origin's all-female space flight an act of futuristic tourism, naive feminism or just a simple PR stunt? All of the above? For context read CNN, for opinions read MSNBC, NYT, Guardian (I love a good approach to controversial issues! For the record, I share articles that I may or may not agree with – the aim is to generate discussion, not to impose one single point of view on my readers).

• Continuing from the perspective of the role of women in society, what can we learn from the media's treatment of Gisele Pelicot? Watch this panel at the International Journalism Festival.

• Finally, why not add a little more journalism to this very journalistic newsletter edition? Watch these key lessons from writing a book on mental health for journalists.

EVENTS

• POLITICO AI x Tech Summit 2025 (May 8, London)

OPPORTUNITIES

• Project Manager – Women, Peace and Security Helpdesk @ Saferworld

• Are you a Portuguese researcher in the UK? This is your chance to give back and support a student at the start of their academic or professional journey (supported by the CGD UK, the scholarship covers student expenses and values your time as a mentor)

• Political Advisor @ NATO

• Communications Internship @ Wilfried Martens Centre 

• Senior Communications Officer P5 @ WFP

• Research Assistants @ Bruegel

• Conference and Events Coordinator @ IISS-Europe

• Population Analyst @ ECLAC

• Senior Media & Communications Associate @ IOM

• Associate, Center for Geopolitics @ JPMorganChase

• Treasury Officer @ NATO

• Research Associate, History and Foreign Policy @ Council on Foreign Relations

• Policy Officer @ EPLO

• Partnerships Adviser @ International IDEA

• Funded Traineeships @ EU Delegation to Bolivia

• Programme Officer @ CIVICUS

• Head of Programme – EU and International Politics @ Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung EU