kocent and toffanello journalism idol
TRANSCRIPT
Nahlah Ayed2014 Candidate for
Journalism IdolPresented by
Marissa Kocent and Hannah Toffanello
for JOUR Discussion Group A11
BiographyO Born in Winnipeg, Canada
O Moved with family to a refugee camp in Amman, Jordan for seven years
O Returned to Canada where she completed two university degrees and received two Master’s degrees
O Began journalistic career as reporter for student-run newspaper; following this, she worked as a reporter for the Ottawa Citizen, a parliamentary correspondent for The Canadian Press, and a foreign correspondent (Jordan/Iraq) for CBC’s The National
O Has been nominated for three Gemini awards and won a number of other awards, including The President’s Award (from The Canadian Press)
Our Thoughts - Positive
O Key figure in contemporary Canadian journalism
O Recognized by national institutions as a result
O Possesses a relatable quality
O Injects a human element to her stories
Our Thoughts - Critique
O Doesn’t want to include too much of self in stories
O Reserved quality possibly alienates and disillusions audience receiving story
Overview of Stories
O Known for coverage of international affairs as a foreign correspondant
O Incorporates personal flairO Strives to demonstrate impact
that events have on average civilians
Analysis of reporting
O Writes crisply and fluidly O Uses quotes to infuse
emotion into her stories O Committed to telling the
story
Target Audience and Journalistic Mission
O Because of the crucial quality of her reporting – war correspondence, with a focus on Iraq and Baghdad – the target audience is on a national scale; her stories reach practically all Canadians watching the news
O Journalistic mission is to involve Canadians in what is happening in foreign, war-torn countries; she wants to engage her audience and keep them informed
Overall contribution to field of journalism/society
O Puts contemporary Canadian journalism and media on the map, so to speak
O Tells important and imperative stories that society, as a whole, values
O Helps Canadians understand the true struggles of those who are in foreign countries
Key LessonsO “People are not quotes or clips”
O Adding a human element means being aware of boundaries (and those that should not be overstepped)
O Even accomplished journalist still struggling with approaching people (just like aspiring journalists)
O Journalists need bravery
O Sacrifices must be made in order to be successful
Discussion Questions
O Do you feel that Nahlah Ayed is compromising her journalistic success by ‘removing herself’ from her stories? Or do you feel that it makes her more credible as a journalist?
O Is war correspondence the most important branch of journalism? Has Nahlah Ayed done a sufficient job in the field of war correspondence, specifically in foreign countries?