Journalism Idol presentation. Compiled and Presented by Marissa Kocent and Hannah Toffanello

1. Nahlah Ayed
2014 Candidate for
Journalism Idol
Presented by
Marissa Kocent and Hannah
Toffanello
for JOUR Discussion Group
A11

2. Biography
O 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)

3. 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

4. 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

5. Overview of Stories
O Known for coverage of
international affairs as a
foreign correspondant
O Incorporates personal flair
O Strives to demonstrate impact
that events have on average
civilians

6. Analysis of reporting
O Writes crisply and fluidly
O Uses quotes to infuse
emotion into her stories
O Committed to telling the
story

7. 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

8. 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

9. Key Lessons
O “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

10. 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?