Melissa Chemam
As seen in:
Apple Podcasts,
The Waterstones Podcast,
Medium,
MSN,
BBC,
The Independent (UK),
Yahoo Canada,
Yahoo News,
Yahoo News Australia,
Yahoo News Malaysia
and
Covers:
Foreign news, British politics, human rights, migrations, African-European relations, social change, art and music
Doesn't Cover:
sport
*Journalist: on the Global South, mostly Africa
@ RFI English (ex BBC, CBC, DW, Velvet Film, F24...)
*Writer: on cultural activism + African & diaspora arts
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Writer, interviewer and reviewer at Transfuge Magazine
Have you ever used a typewriter?
A few times
How is social media changing news?
It's forcing speed
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
can't think of anyone
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Seeking the truth tirelessly
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
none
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I'm the one pitching stories
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
laptop, recorder
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter
Who do you wish followed you?
no one in particular
Why did you become a journalist?
To lean, meet inspiring people and to travel
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
no
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Reporting in Mogadishu, Somalia, about peace
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
very few...
When's the best time to pitch you?
never, I'm a freelance journalist, don't pitch me!
What's the best pitch you ever got?
i don't
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I don't, I'm a freelance journalist
What's your favorite drink?
Champagne
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Reporting, interviewing, or at an art exhibition/performance
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Guardian
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
i'm too busy
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.