Is Journalism the Right Career for British Pakistani Women?
I want you to think about the fact that we are living in the 21st century.
I want you to think about how many people live in this world.
I want you to think of the diversity of these people - age, race, religion, sexuality, their stories.
I want you to think about the statements that politicians like to make - that we are in a world that embraces diversity and individuality.
And, now, I want you to ask you - if all these statements ring true, why does the media industry catastrophically fail to reflect this diversity?
My Story…
Before I am a “journalist”, a student, or anything really, I am a Muslim British Pakistani woman. This is my identity, and something I am proud of. So why, for the first time in my life, did I feel that this was something I should not try to flag up? Why did I think I would miss out on opportunities if I mentioned this, or if people were to discover this I would not be considered for that position?
Having only been a “journalist” for a very short amount of time, I do not have an extensively long story. Rewinding to September 2020, when the idea to start writing first popped into my head. Naturally, I wanted to get straight into it. I joined many Facebook groups, attended a bunch of virtual events, and followed tons of magazines on twitter and Instagram. Prior to starting out, I was never someone who was afraid to work alone or afraid of being ‘the only one’ doing something. However, over the last few months I have experienced possibly the highest levels of imposter syndrome I have ever felt in my entire life.
I went from questioning my ability to produce something good, to wondering if my cultural or religious background was an impacting factor for why I was not doing so well. My insecurity grew, and I managed to convince myself that the reason I was getting rejected for certain opportunities or never being invited to them in the first instance, was because of my background. In groups I felt like I stood out like a sore thumb, and like I did not belong there.
The first issue was that I rarely saw British Pakistani journalists, and many of the ones I came across, were men. I wondered if journalism was something I should be doing, and whether this was where British Pakistani women belonged. It is self-explanatory; if you do not see people like yourself in an industry, you will question why this is the case. Maybe it is something that doesn't interest people from my background? Maybe it is something that I shouldn't be doing? Maybe it is something that isn’t made for a woman of my background? I will not shy away from admitting that journalism is probably quite a controversial career choice for a brown girl. I am lucky to have a supportive family, but I am not sure many others can say the same.
Then there was the issue of sometimes being the only woman of this heritage at events or in groups. To say I felt out of place, is an understatement. Sometimes it is the lack of people to relate to, and sometimes it is just simply feeling unincluded.
Can you be an artist and a footballer at the same time?
The best way I can describe how I have viewed the situation is with the ‘artist and football’ scenario that I came up with.
If someone is predominantly seen as and identified as an artist, does this mean they can’t be a footballer or play football? The artist in this situation joins a football club, and they are asked, “why are you playing football, aren’t you an artist?” They say, “are you not an artist anymore?”
We know the truth. We know that you can be an artist and a footballer at the same time. You can play football, without it meaning you are no longer an artist or that you no longer have the same values an artist should have.
You can still be a British Pakistani woman and be a journalist. I spent way too long thinking this was something I could not do, and that the two combined is a recipe for disaster and failure. It was this very fear of failure, that led to reluctancy to apply for certain roles or take opportunities. I had the impression that tons of publications had an unofficial or discrete preference for white, rather than coloured writers.
A vision for diversity
Roughly 94% of our journalists are white and a whopping 1% of our journalists are of Asian British heritage, is this representing the diversity of this country? We need journalists covering a wide range of people, so that we can have a wide range of voices and opinions.
I hope 2021 is the year of change. I hope this year the diversity in the journalism industry grows and grows, and not just in terms of ethnicity and religion. I hope we have more a diverse community of journalist reflecting people from all walks of life.
Not only does no one seem to address the issue of the lack of diversity in the journalism industry, we also have a lack of coverage on stories concerning diverse backgrounds in comparison to stories from other backgrounds.
Diverse magazines
To end on a positive, I would like to draw your attention to a few of my favourite online and print magazines that have a real focus on diversity and welcome writers from all walks of life:
Written by Halimah Begum
Hi, my name is Halimah Begum. I am an 18 year old law student from Birmingham. I started freelance writing as it was a way for me to commit to the responsibilities of being a student but also continue on with my hobbies. Hope you enjoy my piece!