Lara Senekal
A woman with a keen eye for a story and with a flare for getting both sides of the story, Lara Senekal is known as an extremely fair journalist, exposing and mussing over not only her own bias, but those of others as well. Formerly a protégé of Maronida Shiir, Lara has since ended her association with her, though her style is reminiscent of Maronida's early work. It is heavy hitting and her tone is emotional, but it delivers the facts and always has the opposing view point when it's a matter of opinion.
Born in Cape Town in 2342, Lara grew up in the Western Cape of South Africa, before moving to Paris to study at La Sorbonne. She eventually made the acquaintance of veteran reporter Maronida Shiir and was taken under her wing. Lara speaks fondly of the Argellian woman during those days but has rarely, if ever, mentioned her since the early 2370s, specifically after Admiral Layton's attempted coup in 2372. The cause of their split is unknown, but it is perhaps tied to Maronida's increasingly blatantly objective and pompous (if popular) brand of journalism, seeing her as more Paris power player than a true journalist. Lara still has great respect for veteran reporter however, and is perhaps more saddened than angry at what she has become.
Lara is appreciative of President Bacco's ideals, but fears that she has been in power too long (despite her popularity) and worries about her future in the face of the upcoming elections. She is also sympathetic though not entirely in support of the Colonial Coalition and the Federation Transport Union strike, seeing it as childish and doing more harm than good.