To celebrate the 32nd Annual One World Media Awards (OWN), Gemma Bradshaw, Director of One World Media, had a virtual round table discussion with the three nominees for the New Voice Award 2020 won by Shatha Hammad.
From how they got their first break to how they found their voices in such a challenging industry, the conversation with Naseh Shaker, Oscar Lopez and Shatha Hammad offered lots of insights for aspiring journalists and filmmakers, says Oyinlola Awonuga who monitored and transcribed the conversation.
Brief background check about the three nominees revealed that:
Shaker is a freelance journalist based in the Yemeni capital. He has been covering conflict and human works for many years.
Hammad the only female is a Palestinian freelance journalist who writes for the Middle East Eye
Lopez an American correspondent focuses on environmental and human rights and is based in Mexico.
Considering the kind of stories you all focus on, what inspires you?
Oscar Lopez
What drew me into journalism was basically to give a voice to people. I think that is what my work is basically on. Vulnerable communities because they are not near. Most of the time, we don’t hear from them because they are not near us or part of our decision making, but they are suffering the most by those decisions.
That really has always been the focus of my work. Trying to alleviate the plight of those people who often could benefit the spotlight of the struggles they are going through. Whether they are in Nigeria or people living with HIV in Mexico, being able to use my work amplify their voices is really what inspires me.
Oscar Lopez
Many of my stories start with network, social media. I often see a lot of people on social media. Also, some people living with HIV not having access to unemployment.
Shatha Hammad
What inspires me to work on small stories is that I always feel that we have the right to every bit of information. Another one is not just to bring the political aspect, but also the social and humanitarian aspect.
Where is your break in Journalism, when did you know you were on the right track?
Naser Shaker
Actually, to answer this question, I need to take you back to 2011. I moved to Anglo Journalism. This made me join more than five media international outlets including Aljazeera English and that is it.
Oscar Lopez
I came from a background working in the theatre. I was interested in a kind of thing called Theatre documentary. I was working in a TV company in New York before I started my own creation. That process of doing the interviews and doing stories I was really interested, but I was always frustrated with the amount of time you put together in creating that kind of work. Journalism has immediacy. Putting it in my port-folio was how I kind of got my first job. In 2015 I have been freelancing all along. I was on CNN and NBC and I think that was how I was able to establish myself and gather more for the industry.
Can you tell us how you got your first break in Journalism?
Shatta Hammad
It was a news website that focused on community journalism in Jerusalem a few months after I graduated from my University. I did not have journalism experience. I was the only female and that always made me feel inferior and made me double my efforts as I volunteered to work on other days.
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What were the impacts that kept you going?
Oscar Lopez
Sure, I think the challenges that just keeps me on their own, not having the backings of the newsroom or support/network. Especially when you are a young journalist, it can be challenging to just be on your own without any kind of mentor, supervision or it’s challenging also from the cash benefit.
It is very hard often to get stories pitched, to get published and get paid on time. So, often, financially, it is a different struggle and I definitely feel it that the financial aspect is the challenge. But I think one of the things I love about freelancing is the independence and make my own path, choose the stories I’m not interested in. No pressure, unlike the newsroom, there is a kind of pressure in the newsroom. But I think as a freelancer I have a whole to do with my stories, choosing what I want and I don’t want to report and I think that is freedom. To really write the stories that I’m always passionate about that motivates me to keep going along the way. I like to continue no matter the challenges I’m facing.
Shatta Hammad
Yes, there are many challenges in the place I worked in and most of them are related to the political aspect.
Have you had sort of restriction on your work (Press Freedom) you would like to address?
Oscar Lopez
I won’t say press freedom directly. I think to work in dangerous environments. It is definitely a challenge. Mexico is currently the second most dangerous country for journalists in the world. There has been a lot of violence. Most of the time when you are reporting in such an environment, you have to be pretty careful. I think it has affected the nature of my work. It is a pressing concern. We have been in some conflict situations.
ONM is trying to make sure journalists are protected. Shatta. What safety precautions are you trying to take and how has it affected your reporting?
Shatta Hammad
It took me a long time to save up and buy some equipment. My first job refused to buy some safety equipment. So, I had to save up and buy them. I had to find a way to tell others what I’m going to be. On the other hand, I try to be professional in my studies to avoid being subject to any influence by the authority.
As a freelance journalist, you talked about the support your organisation didn’t provide, talk about the support you were given as a freelance journalist
Shatta Hammad
I’m very grateful for the support I got from the Middle East Eye. They gave me what the world could offer a journalist like myself. I didn’t see that in other media website and always I’m very open to new ideas. I find them very supportive.
What have you appreciated all the way working as a freelancer?
Oscar Lopez
Definitely having the backing of the organisation along the way is what has saved my career. Two grants that included doing a sort of training and it was really granted. Years ago I got support to do a sort of training.
What would you like to appreciate as a freelancer?
Naser Shaker
I like to appreciate those news outlets that commissioned journalists immediately. This will make you find enthusiasm in doing stories because if there is any delay probably two or three days, you will see that story is no longer interesting. What we need as Oscar said is funding, reaching appropriate places for funds there are restrictions and we hope this can be solved.
Do you feel the commissioning process can frustrate the story?
It is very frustrating when you have the story but there is a delay in the commissioning or publishing of the story.
What is your advice for journalists at the beginning of their career?
Naseh Shaker
My advice for young journalists is to love journalism. Love is the secret to succeed in journalism. A lot of journalists who didn’t study journalism are successful because they love journalism. The advice my teacher gave is to just read. Love and reading is something very interesting and that is my advice for young journalists.
Shatta Hammad
The two biggest obstacles for a journalist is truth and the question of being objective. Sometimes there are challenges of getting the truth. If we overcome these obstacles we become the best.
Oscar Lopez
My advice is don’t give up, that is my advice. I think to just persevere. I think also trying to find people you really respect and write to them. The network really helps. It keeps you inspired on where you are going on the career.