What was your first job as a journalist?
I was an editorial assistant/junior reporter for an internet magazine in Karachi. My salary was less than 100$ per month but I loved my job.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Just for fun.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Peter Parker.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means to record history honestly as it unfolds around you, preferably, without getting killed for it.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
It had to be with red apple in Turkish, which I thought was about the fruit but actually it was about politics
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Mostly MS Word, Excel, Adobe Premier, Flourish studio
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter
Why did you become a journalist?
It felt like the right thing to do at the time. Plus, I was inspired by my father who was also a journalist.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No, I didn't. But I did contribute to my university's paper when I was doing my master's. I contributed a few pieces.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I once wrote about how the surveillance network works in Pakistan and got a lot of heat for it. It's one of my best works.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Avoid bringing your own emotions into the story at the expense of facts. Always.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Afternoon
What's your favorite drink?
Red wine.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
On my phone.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The New Yorker
