Career

I am Gabriel Izcovich, a communicator and journalist with 7 years of experience. I was born in Barcelona in 1998. Catalan and Spanish are my native languages, and I also speak English and French at a professional working level. Below, I outline my professional career in greater detail.

 

I studied Journalism and Corporate Communication at Blanquerna Faculty. There, I not only learned how to chase breaking news or write long-form feature articles; I also discovered how to thoroughly understand brands and build strategies across various fields.

 

Working with empathy has always been my defining trait—both in journalism, by caring for the people I have interviewed, and in corporate communication, by treating every brand I have worked for with the care and dedication it deserved.

 

Blogging at Age 12 & On-Air Praise from Gerard Romero During My Internship

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Beyond working with empathy, my goal has always been to make a meaningful difference in every environment I inhabit—whether through a thought-provoking report or a carefully crafted communication strategy. I launched my professional career at leading media outlets like RAC1 and Agencia EFE, but my calling began much earlier. At age 12, I created FC Periodismo, a small blog that still survives online as a testament to that boy who already knew he wanted to be a journalist.

 

During my degree in Journalism and Corporate Communication at Blanquerna, I interned at Agencia EFE, the Fundació Recerca, and RAC1. At RAC1, my dedication led me to voluntarily and meticulously prepare match statistics for FC Barcelona broadcasts—extra work that sports journalist Gerard Romero went out of his way to praise live on air.

 

Upon graduating, I specialized with a Master’s Degree in Documentary Filmmaking at ECIB. Since then, I have contributed as a production assistant on projects such as L'Art de l'Antídot (by Aina Palomer Sitjà) and have directed and produced my own documentary, El Gaucho de Galilea—filmed in Israel during the war in 2024, as detailed below.

 

Drive & Initiative at El Món: A New Section & Comprehensive Coverage

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At the digital newspaper El Món—where we reached a record-breaking peak of 312,800 monthly users—I created the section El Señalado y el Triunfador ("The Blamed & The Victor"), a concise tactical analysis of Barça matches that the outlet continues to publish after every game years later. I also produced high-impact coverage during Robert Lewandowski’s presentation at FC Barcelona and the 2022 Women’s Champions League Final loss, contributing match reports, interviews, and photography using my own camera. Additionally, I took full charge of the Sports section while my department editor was on vacation.

 

PCatS Comunicació & The 11-Account Challenge

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At PCatS Comunicació, I managed press relations and communication narratives for 11 accounts across the food and wine sector (including the Designation of Origin appellations DO Catalunya, DO Terra Alta, and DO Tarragona, as well as wineries like Celler Masroig and Les Vinyes del Convent). A key highlight was serving as Press Officer for the 2023 In-FCTA Festival (Terra Alta Film Festival), directed by actor Iván Massagué. I acted as the bridge between festival organizers and the media, managing press schedules for Massagué himself and the celebrity jury, including actors Carlos Cuevas, Laia Manzanares, Nausicaa Bonnín, and Melani Olivares.

 

At PCatS, I expanded my graphic and print design skills, which I had begun building during my university years. On top of crafting strategies, producing social media content, writing press releases, monitoring media coverage, and photographing events, I designed newsletters in HubSpot and managed website maintenance on WordPress. I also maintained weekly syncs with clients to align on expectations, offer ongoing guidance, and deliver monthly performance reports. Furthermore, I participated in planning high-profile events such as Primavera de la DO Terra Alta 2023 (featuring the Festival Cruïlla DO Terra Alta and the DO Terra Alta Awards Gala) and the DO Costers del Segre Showroom in Barcelona.

 

Managing up to 11 accounts simultaneously was one of the biggest operational challenges of my career—a true trial by fire that solidified my organizational skills, prioritization habits, and ability to thrive under pressure.

 

Israel & Palestine: An Uncomfortable Yet Compelling Challenge

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Covering the escalation of the conflict in Israel and Palestine between 2023 and 2024 for Argentina's leading radio network, Radio Mitre, alongside several Spanish national outlets, was without a doubt the most challenging work of my life. Working in a conflict zone requires managing immense emotional weight without ever compromising journalistic rigor. I focused on human-centered journalism, amplifying the voices of people with meaningful perspectives aimed at peace.

 

I gave a platform to activists such as Yaakov Godo and Nina Esekov in the feature story Israelis Against Netanyahu, published in the Spanish magazine CTXT. I also documented the testimony of Danny Nakash, who lives right along the Gaza border. While interviewing him inside his home, the sound of shrapnel echoed in the background from across the fence—the most moving moment of this entire chapter. During this period, I also filmed the aforementioned documentary, El Gaucho de Galilea, depicting the daily life of Edu Vitale—a non-Jewish Argentine living in the Galilee region—offering profound reflections on war, identity, and immigration.

 

Back in Barcelona: CatalunyaPress & Creative Project Strategy

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Upon returning to Barcelona, I took charge of front-page curation and weekend content management at CatalunyaPress, while also mentoring and training incoming staff writers. Carrying 100% of the responsibility for a news outlet two days a week was as demanding as it was thrilling. During this period, I authored two pieces I remember with particular fondness: a feature analysis on Iran’s missile strikes against Israel, leveraging my network of local contacts on the ground, and an anniversary interview with Emilio Scotto ("The Motorbike Legend") marking exactly 40 years since his record-breaking motorcycle journey around the world.

 

Concurrently, I helped shape the brand positioning for Italian DJ Jansen and the Catalan band Arderia. For both creative projects, I produced audiovisual assets and graphic design, built event launch strategies, and managed both live event coverage and post-production work.

 

Driving Debate in a High-Demand Newsroom at Crónica Global

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Earlier in my career, I spent time covering various beats. However, after my experience in Israel and Palestine, I made a definitive shift toward Social Issues, driven by a desire to create content that meaningfully impacts individuals, communities, and society at large. That was precisely the focus of my work at Crónica Global.

 

One of the pieces I am proudest of from this tenure is my interview with Italian sociologist Marco d'Eramo, titled Marco d'Eramo, Tourism Expert: "Whoever Claims There Are Too Many Tourists Is Really Claiming There Is Too Much Democracy." When I pitched the headline during the editorial meeting, it sparked several minutes of heated debate among my colleagues—one of the most satisfying moments of my career as a journalist.

 

I had seen that same reaction outside the newsroom shortly before, while debating friends over an interview on public safety and crime in Catalonia featuring another bold headline: Spokesperson for the USPAC Mossos Union: "Crime Statistics Are Improving, But We Officers Are Stuck Where We Were 20 Years Ago."

 

I also hold deep affection for my interview with Meritxell Playà regarding albinism. In a media landscape that often approaches differences with coldness or sensationalism, I made it my mission to treat her story with the warmth and delicacy it deserved. In the end, the greatest reward was not the piece’s reach, but her personal note of gratitude.

 

Other high-impact pieces included my exclusive scoop on the dispute between entrepreneur José Elías and a neighboring dog shelter near his mansion; interviews with the authors of the Hacienda contra el Pueblo report, sociologist Hein de Haas, and members of the ASJUBI40 association; as well as on-the-ground reporting during the devastating Paüls forest fire in Tarragona (summer 2025), coverage of civil unrest in Mataró (followed by an exclusive analysis interview with Mayor David Bote), a fresh perspective on Sant Jordi 2025, and the major blackout incident.

 

The central challenge during this chapter was consistently meeting the demand for exclusive, original long-form reporting and in-depth interviews 2 to 3 times a week on breaking or high-interest topics, answering editorial standards with speed and precision.

 

Present Work in Southeast Asia

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Today, I continue to view myself as a media professional committed to continuous growth. To that end, I recently completed the specialized training Claude: Practical Generative AI Applications for Newsrooms and Digital Communication, organized by the Col·legi de Periodistes de Catalunya.

 

Currently, I manage daily press monitoring and media analysis for multiple corporate clients through MyNews. In addition, I have begun contributing to Report.cat, the media analysis outlet of the Col·legi de Periodistes de Catalunya. My inaugural report, L’aposta (amb matisos) pel teletreball ("The Bet (with Caveats) on Remote Work"), generated strong engagement and positive feedback from both interview subjects and industry readers on LinkedIn.

 

I am currently working remotely while based in Southeast Asia. Living in this region enables me to manage digital strategy and communication projects seamlessly from abroad, while experiencing vibrant cultures firsthand. As always, I prioritize integrating thoughtfully into local communities and avoiding contributing to the gentrification dynamics I witnessed in Barcelona before choosing to travel once more.