journalism

‘I Watched It Begin Again’

After months of organizing 15 years of writing and scouring the web for some of my older work, I finally got my website live earlier this month — taniahussain.com!

If you know everything I’ve been through and what it took to get to where I am, you know it was an emotional journey for me. I’m not going to get into a whole thing about my career, but I do want to say how grateful I am to those that have been there for me from the start.

Life pushed me onto the road less travelled and while it wasn’t easy, I’m so grateful to have a steadfast faith in God and a support system that humbles me constantly. I’ve been so blessed to have family and friends who believe in me when I sometimes find it hard to do it myself. Thank you to my family, all my friends and mentors for being there. Without further adieu, check me out at my official website below!

‘Don’t Read the Last Page’

This past year has been a challenging year for so many and while I’ll get to that in another post later this week detailing the pain of 2020, I do want to share something that has me counting my blessings — the parts we can be grateful for amid the darkness. While an event from last Christmas left a hole in my heart, it is one that has brought me closer to some of my friends, recognizing who is genuine and who isn’t. I think that’s what age does though, right? You just get it all of a sudden.

But while certain friends and, of course, my family have been salvation during this global pandemic, I am blessed and grateful for work (and my amazing co-workers) being that totem for me too. This year was rough with COVID-19 and just tragic news coverage. Some stories took a toll each day. Sifting through information, first-hand accounts, videos, all of it can break you some days and ground you. With nowhere to go but an arm’s length, it was a lot of reflecting, disconnecting from the noise and dropping everything to spend time with my sister and parents, staying indoors, protecting them, helping them. All of it produced an interesting latent function though, ironically, that allowed me to grow outside myself — and like everything in life, the balance is important. It helps you gain perspective to make better decisions, gain a sense of calm, and see the big picture again.

With a career embedded in just about every aspect of life with no way to turn off, I got to jump outside my comfort zone and head into a realm of broadcast with work, finally getting the chance to apply everything I’ve learned in school to another aspect of reporting. I never imagined it would go that way, but here we are at the end of 2020 and I’ve filmed 18 (one embargoed for January) episodes for our ViacomCBS brand PopCulture’s @ Home series.

It all started at the end of June when I got my first interview with Ernie Hudson, which was a dream come true. (Imagine telling 4-year-old Tania about that!) I can’t even remember how I did it, but I can tell you, I was nervous AF. I had never done anything like it before and then I got another one, and another one, and another one… and I am so grateful. Talking to so many people that I have looked up to for years and admired, is an incredibly humbling experience. Work hard, friends. Like my favorite personality, Conan O’Brien once said, “Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.”

(more…)

“Got Your Six” – Civilians backing officers across the States

In light of the fatal August 28 shooting of Texas Deputy, Darren Goforth, there has been an influx of civilians across the country reaching out to help officers in times of need. Earlier this month, three officers from three different states met with the kindest gestures by civilians who chose to watch out and get the backs  (or the “6”) of those who patrol the streets day-in and day-out.

An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Facebook post from earlier this month is going viral after a little girl offered “backup” to an officer refueling his patrol car. IMPD Officer Dustin Keedy was refueling his patrol car on Emerson Avenue in southeast Indianapolis when a little girl and her mother stopped him.

Continue reading…

 

Chris Cuomo: Man of Conscience and Integrity

Chris Cuomo - New Day CNN 01

It’s an obvious fact that through the events that take place in our daily routines and practices, life is all about creation. Creation of mind, creation of opportunity and most importantly, creation of self. Someone who has proved his worth through creating a solid self of veracity through opportunities in the ever-evolving field of journalism is CNN New Day’s Chris Cuomo.

With attention to detail, no assumptions, properly phrased questions, an endless curiosity, a deep need to know what is happening around our world, all combined with the ability to hear a small clue and follow it is what truly defines him.

Since pursuing journalism shortly after receiving his law degree from Fordham University in 1995 with an undergraduate from Yale University, Chris Cuomo has always rooted his journalistic principles in bringing to light the realities of life and existentialism.

“I was raised in a way to believe that you have to do something with the opportunity that you’re given in life to help other people,” he tells me shortly after filming the three-hour broadcast of New Day from his CNN office in New York. “You know, the idea of being a collaborator in creation—the idea of being bigger than yourself. It just matters to me.”

Continue reading…

IMWF: Profile on Arwa Damon, 2014 Courage in Journalism Award

She has traveled across the Arab world for over a decade, reporting extensively on the on-going conflicts in some of the most war-ravaged zones, and in 2012 covered the civil war in Syria.

Regardless of the constant shelling and sniper fire during her last trip to Homs, Arwa Damon’s persistence, strength, and focus on bringing forth what needs to be known in order to help document history, has her standing tall amidst the rubble.

Arwa Damon, 36, is CNN’s Emmy-award winning Senior International Correspondent, living and working out of Beirut and covering stories from some of the most precarious, yet captivating places on Earth that have few or no laws protecting press freedom and widespread intimidation of journalists.

Continue reading at the IWMF…

IWMF: Profile on Solange Lusiku Nsimire, 2014 Courage In Journalism Award

Lusiku01-L

[Originally published at IWMF.org, May 16, 2014]

“My determination comes from Congolese women.”

Journalism is a risky profession and promoting the human rights of women isn’t easy in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), but Solange Lusiku Nsimire courageously holds on tightly to the threads of fair democracy in her efforts to make a difference and stand up for civil liberties. (more…)

IWMF: Call for Applications

The International Women’s Media Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2014/2015 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship.

The fellowship is designed for a woman journalist from anywhere in the world whose work in print, broadcast, or digital media has focused on human rights and social justice reporting. This seven month-long program will take her to Boston and New York to study at MIT’s Center for International Studies and work for U.S. media outlets including The Boston Globe and The New York Times.

Now in its 10th year, the fellowship was named for the 1998 IWMF Courage in Journalism Award winner and The Boston Globe correspondent Elizabeth Neuffer, who was killed in Iraq in May 2003. Created with Elizabeth Neuffer’s family and friends, the program aims to perpetuate her memory and advance her life mission of promoting international understanding of human rights and social justice while creating an opportunity for women journalists to build their skills.

What is the fellowship? Who are we looking for? Why should you apply? How do you apply?

For more information, check out the IWMF’s Call for Applications. Be sure to share the call with fellow journalists via Twitter or Facebook.

IWMF: Interview With FOX59’s Aishah Hasnie

[Originally Published on IWMF. org, Feb. 7, 2014]

Aishah Hasnie, anchor and reporter of FOX59 Indianapolis talks about her passions, experiences and challenges as a journalist, commenting on the similarities and differences in news reporting in the West and the East. Interning at the age of 18 with major network affiliates in Illinois and Indiana, Hasnie interned for GEO-TV in Pakistan where she experienced gender inequality and discovered that most reporters and producers were motivated by the new found freedom of press in Pakistan and had little or no formal journalism education, or a set of journalism standards as a benchmark. Prior to working at FOX59, Hasnie put to use her skills as an investigative reporter with WANE-TV in Fort Wayne, Indiana which led to changes in the Indiana legislature’s “voyeurism” law.

* * * * *

Archived: IWMF – Aishah Hasnie (FOX59 News)