Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yeah, my grandfather had one. He founded the first library in East Sudan and was the first journalist I ever knew. I remember pressing the keys as a kid, thinking it was the coolest thing in the world. Loud, clunky, but it made words feel permanent. That was my first brush with storytelling.
How is social media changing news?
It is democratizing who gets to speak and who gets heard. Stories once buried are now breaking through because someone had a phone, a signal, and something to say. But reach is not the same as depth. The challenge now is keeping truth from drowning in virality. Social media gave us access. Now we have to fight for context.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Probably Christiane Amanpour if she were written into a novel. But if I have to choose fiction, I’d say Lois Lane. Bold, relentless, and never waiting for permission to ask the hard questions. The kind of woman who reminds you that storytelling is power.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
still makes me laugh. A whole continent fact-checking Western media in real time. It was petty, brilliant, and long overdue. Funny because it’s true.
What's your favorite social network?
Instagram. It feels the most human. I get to connect through visuals, storytelling, and everyday moments that don’t need to be polished to feel real. It’s where I build community across continents and share stories that wouldn’t always make the news but still matter.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My first book. It’s a love letter to Sudan, told through the eyes of a daughter of the diaspora returning home during war. I wrote it while traveling across the country, listening to stories, preserving beauty, and grieving what was being lost. It’s part memory, part documentation, and part resistance. Every word is stitched with purpose.
What's your favorite drink?
Hibiscus. Served cold, deep red, and slightly tangy. It tastes like childhood, celebrations, and stories passed around the table.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Wandering through a market in a new city, getting my hands dusty in a village I’ll never forget, or deep in conversation over coffee that probably took too long to make. I’m most alive when I’m learning something real from people whose names won’t make headlines but whose stories stay with you forever.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That stories from Africa are either about crisis or charity. The continent is often flattened into a single narrative of struggle, when in reality it is layered, complex, and full of innovation, resilience, and joy. My work isn’t about painting over the hard truths. It’s about making room for the full story.
