Meet the QCT’s newest journalist, Manuel Cardenas
Meet the QCT’s newest journalist, Manuel Cardenas
Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
editor@qctonline.com
Manuel Cardenas is the QCT’s newest journalist. Based in Lévis, he is the first South Shore correspondent the paper has had for many years. Ruby Pratka had a brief chat* with Manuel to introduce him to readers.
Ruby Pratka: Hi Manuel! Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Manuel Cardenas: I was born in Peru. When I was six, we moved to Saint-Agapit. I grew up there and went to high school in Lévis.
RP: So you grew up speaking Spanish and French, but your English is also very good.
MC: I think the thing that helped me the most to learn English was Netflix. I always watch Spanish movies in Spanish. I did the same for English, so that’s how I learned. I just finished my bachelor’s degree at Bishop’s University [in Lennoxville], and that experience helped me to learn the English that I speak now.
RP: The first time we spoke, you mentioned that you did an internship at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Germany this summer. Tell us about that.
MC: That’s the greatest experience I’ve ever had! I’m a big fan of football, of soccer. I worked in the international broadcast centre as an [inter- mediary] between broadcast- ers and staff. All the players I’ve watched since I was a little kid on TV, I saw them in real life! I met so many people from Germany, Spain, Italy, Turkey, and everybody contributed to my experience there.
RP: What did you learn from watching those people work?
MC: There were a lot of older people there, and I thought they knew everything, but I realized they’re still learning! Another reality check was that I speak three languages, and everyone there spoke four or five! I’ve started learning Ger- man, and it’s quite hard. You always have to push yourself.
RP: How did you find out about the QCT?
MC: A year and a half ago, I covered a story for Le Journal de Lévis [about] the new English school in Lévis, and you contacted me for [an audio recording]. I’ve also heard that one of the oldest media [outlets] in the country was in Quebec City. I think it’s the oldest one, right?
RP: The oldest newspaper in North America, that’s us!
MC: So I looked at your website and found out more about the paper.
RP: And after all this time, your first “official” story for us is about the opening of New Liverpool – the same school!
MC: The universe works in a weird way … Maybe the universe wanted me to step up in this new direction.
RP: Why did you want to take up the challenge of working in English for the QCT?
MC: The best advice I got from the people I met during my internship was to keep learning and gain experience in different fields. I told them that I worked in French journalism. They told me I should work for Spanish or English media, [make] new contacts, [have] new experiences. Gaining experience in English is really helpful for international jobs.
RP: Do you want to keep trying different things for the next little while, or do you have a specific career goal already?
MC: For now I want to stay in Quebec, but [keep] enlarging my experience. As a long-term goal, after I finish my master’s, I want to work in international sports events.
RP: What stories are you looking forward to covering for the QCT?
MC: Mainly sports, but I like doing different stories. I’m also a musician. At the Journal de Lévis, I covered music stories, cultural stories, political stuff. I’m open to anything.
RP: I’m glad you mentioned music because I wanted to bring that up. You’re also a piano teacher?
MC: Yeah! I have two worlds, communication and music. When I was a teenager, my dream was to become a musician, but I realized I wanted to keep it as a hobby. It’s something magic to help me through rough times in life. Everywhere I go, I bring my piano [or] my guitar. I teach piano at a local music school. Music is cool because you never stop learning.
*This interview has been edited and condensed.