This Pakistani journalist is a role model for citizen journalists around the world
Sonya Rehman. Ever heard of her? Many in Pakistan have.
Rehman is a graduate from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, a journalist from Lahore, Pakistan and a blogger with over 157,000 hits at this writing.
You can hear from Rehman in an 11-minute YouTube presentation. She asks, “Can tangible change take place? Yes it can.” And she gives evidence of citizen journalists who use cell phone cameras to make serious contributions to life in Pakistan.
CLICK HERE to view her YouTube presentation and realize her passion.
The website www.pakistanileaders.com tells you more about this interesting writer/journalist/innovator. It says Sonya Rehman “has been writing in leading English dailies as a ‘freelance feature writer’ apart from hosting a radio show and anchoring a television program as well. Moreover, she has been involved in many a self-styled endeavor which have fulfilled her intellectual appetite to an extent that she has always managed to keep her countenance happy and upbeat, and has stood tall against all odds.”
Now what about YOU?
Think about it. If Sonya Rehman can get 157,000 hits on her English blog about issues in Pakistan – what could you accomplish in your community?
In case you didn’t know it, you can get a free blog started within the next hour. It won’t cost you a penny and is very easy to accomplish. Here are three places you can start your own blog FREE even with limited technical skills:
There are many more free blogging websites than these so you have no excuse to keep you from cranking up your own blog today…or reviving the one you started last year…or to start contributing videos, articles or photos to the increasing number of citizen journalist portals available to you!
OK, I’ll concede that Sonya Rehman has one significant advantage: an excellent journalistic education. But don’t let that stop you. You can get top-quality online training by joining the National Association of Citizen Journalists or by reading the only book written FOR citizen journalists, Handbook for Citizen Journalists.
Thomas L. Blair is a sociologist and political blogger on the Chronicleworld 'for creative renewal in Black Britain and Afro-Europe'. His work is honoured in the British Library's archive of "social, historic and culturally significant web-based material from the UK domain". He won top prize in the blogging competition on The-Latest.
Sumantra Maitra is a freelance journalist from Mumbai, India. He is a correspondent for All Sports magazine, and a foreign affairs blogger for the Washington Examiner. He has written articles for news website Merinews.com and other regional publications. Sumantra runs a blog at DailyWorldWatch.wordpress.com. He provided exclusive eyewitness reports for The-Latest on the Mumbai bombings of 2008.
Brian Usher is photography consultant for The-Latest.Com. He is a highly experienced editorial and commercial photographer whose work has been published throughout the world, appearing in many well known magazines and newspapers. Brian has featured in several books and has been a writer for the Royal Photographic Society magazine.
Heidi Kingstone has spent time in Afghanistan reporting for a number of publications. Her work has appeared in the Financial Times, The Spectator, The Sunday Times and other international journals. She has also reported from places like Iraq, Rwanda, Lebanon, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kenya. Heidi is The-Latest's Editor at large.
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