Natalie Hart, Freelance Journalist | England

Edward Bills:

NH: As I'm still a student, I'm not sure that I'm at the level of considering journalism as my career yet – although I very much hope that will be the eventual outcome. I've always loved writing and been drawn to anything media-related. I did my first work experience aged 15 at a local magazine where I had my first article published: a review of self help hypnosis tapes that I wasn't actually allowed to listen to. I carried on writing articles here and there for student publications, but it was during the year abroad of my university degree that journalism became more of a full time interest. I interned as a reporter for the Santiago Times and editor of the Valparaíso Times in Chile, and then interned at the Jordan Times in the Middle East for a while and wrote freelance articles for The WIP. I am close to completing an undergraduate degree in Arabic and Spanish at the University of Cambridge.

EB: What types of media do you use in your work?

NH: So far most of my work has been online journalism, although I did have a couple of articles published in national daily the Jordan Times when I was interning as an editor there.

EB: How has online journalism played a role in your career?

NH: Online journalism definitely acted as a launch pad for me. Whilst I was at the Santiago Times I wrote an investigative piece on conflicts between indigenous Chilean tribe the Mapuche and Chilean forestry companies, and this was picked up by several different online sites including 'The Women's International Perspective', who I consequently became a freelance writer for. When I went to Jordan the following year it was definitely my previous experience in online media that secured me an internship there.

Online journalism, or more specifically online citizen journalism, has also played a part in my academic career. As part of the final year of my degree in Arabic and Spanish I am writing a dissertation on the use of social media as a tool of identity mobilisation in the Iranian diaspora, and examining the role that online media and social networking sites have played in the dissemination of information from Iran during the 22 Bahman protests this year.

EB: Have you experienced any gender bias(es) in your career?

NH: No, not personally.

EB: How have international experiences impacted your career?

NH: International experiences have completely made up my journalism experience to date; I have yet to work as a journalist in the UK. Journalism in a different country is a fantastic experience because you can look at stories with a new set of eyes, and notice things about a country or culture that you would perhaps take for granted if you were from there yourself. It's also important to be able to draw on your knowledge from other areas; for example, when I wrote about Palestinian refugees in Chile I felt that my background knowledge of Arabic and Middle East enabled me to draw a lot more out of the story and the interviews than I perhaps could have done with only a Chilean perspective.

EB: What do you think are differences in journalism between Chile/Middle East and the United States?

NH: To be honest, I haven't had that much exposure to US journalism, but I'd guess that it's similar to the UK with regards to the level or freedom and the plethora of opinions published. In Chile some of the national newspapers used to be owned by Pinochet supporters and therefore they remain quite right-wing. However, this is gradually changing and the satirical publication 'The Clinic' is definitely a step in the right direction. Jordan is more progressive in terms of freedom of press than some other Middle Eastern countries but some restrictions do still remain, for example no one would criticise the royal family (which is our favourite topic for headlines in the UK).

EB: What role do women play in journalism in Chile/Middle East?

NH: Whilst in Chile I was working with an international crowd and so I couldn't comment about Chilean women in journalism specifically. Jordan was an interesting case. There were a couple of girls in their twenties at the JT and I noticed that they went home earlier than anyone else, and when I asked a colleague about this I was told that it was because they were young and unmarried and therefore shouldn't be out late. Obviously I had a few objections to make about this, but my colleague pointed out that it was their families' choice, not the newspaper's. On the other hand, some of Jordan's best and most progressive journalists are women. For example, JT journalist Rana Husseini has put her life at risk by investigating cases of honour killings in Jordan and has just published a book on her experiences. One of the top editors there was also a woman, so gender doesn't appear to have been an obstacle in climbing the career ladder.

EB: Have your international experiences changed the way you view journalism?

NH: Definitely – both for better and for worse. On the one hand seeing the restrictions that are put on press and the sheer bias or even inaccuracy of some publications has made me into a very critical reader. On the other, meeting individuals who use journalism to reveal and challenge negative aspects of their society, and my research into Iranian citizen journalism has increased my faith in its use as a tool for change. I think this is an aspect particularly poignant in terms of online media, where there isn't the same pressure to meet sales targets and jostle for prominence on the news stand.

EB: How do you handle the demands of being an international journalist as well as balancing other aspects of your life?

NH: Given the workload of the final year of my degree I'm doing very little journalism at the moment. I dedicated my year abroad to journalism so I feel that now is the time to knuckle down with the studying, and hope to pick up the journalism again after I graduate in June. I do, however, produce the Cambridge Humanitarian Centre newsletter on a regular basis to give me a little kick of writing and editing in the meantime!

EB: What role do you see women playing in journalism in the years to come?

NH: In terms of countries like the US and the UK I consider men and women to play an equal role in the media already, and therefore in the years to come would like to see both working to high standards of respectable and reliable journalism. I am a great fan of social media, but I don't think that it should lead to laziness or sloppiness from journalists because whatever images and information you can gather online there is still no substitute for going out into the real world and doing your research firsthand.

In developing countries and oppressive regimes I would love to see the number of female journalists continue to rise. Online journalism and blogging both have a huge scope for anonymity and so can (and should) be used to tell stories that would otherwise be kept hidden.

EB: Was there anyone in particular who served as a role model for you early in your career?

NH: I remember reading both Kate Adie and John Simpson's autobiographies whilst I was at secondary school and being quite inspired by them, but no one person as a role model in particular.

(Note: Kate Adie is a British journalist and author and John Simpson is World Affairs editor for the BBC.)

EB: What does the future hold for you as a communicator?

NH: Well, I graduate with a degree in Arabic and Spanish this June so I am job hunting at the moment. I'd love a job that combines journalism with my love of travel and languages, so I've been applying for positions at Arabic news channels (broadcast media really appeals to me because of the additional visual element of a story) and also at institutes which run projects to promote independent journalism as a tool for opening up societies and promoting democracy. Unfortunately graduates in the UK are having a tough time getting employed at the moment, especially in fields as competitive as the media. Lots of companies expect extensive periods of unpaid work experience before you get a salary which is tough if, like me, you're a student in debt and don't rely on your parents for money. I don't up easily though, so hopefully someone will employ me eventually.

Interviewee: Natalie Hart
Natalie Hart grew up in East Sussex, England and went to a state comprehensive secondary school. When she was 18 she went travelling for a year, spent six months volunteering on a camp for underprivileged children in Mexico and then worked as a barmaid in Guatemala. On her return to the UK Hart started a degree in Arabic and Spanish at Trinity Hall College, University of Cambridge, which she will graduate from in June. As part of the course Hart has studied Latin American literature and culture, Spanish translation, Arabic language, Qur'anic studies, political Islam and the anthropology of Middle Eastern Diasporas. She is currently writing a dissertation on the role of social media as a tool of identity mobilization in the Iranian Diaspora, with a particular focus on this year's 22 Bahman protests. Hart's course entailed an obligatory year abroad. She spent six months in Chile where she worked as a reporter for the Santiago Times and editor of the Valparaíso Times; her special areas of interest were indigenous people's rights and Palestinian refugees in Chile. Hart then had a brief trip to Lebanon, spent four months studying in Syria and then lived in Jordan for 5 months. During her time in Jordan Hart was an intern at the Jordan Times, helping to edit the front page and the Middle East pages. It was at the Jordan Times that she wrote her first front page article for a national daily newspaper – an analysis on the Iranian elections.

Interviewer: Edward Bills

Edward Bills, 20, is currently a junior at The University of Iowa majoring in sports studies with an interest in journalism and mass communication. In sports studies Bills is learning about the historical and cultural perspectives of modern sport. He is from Downers Grove, IL, a suburb southwest of Chicago. Bills chose Iowa because of its campus, the people, the sports studies program, and the opportunity to receive a great education. He is looking to write about sports, as sports are his main interest and hobby. This upcoming summer, Bills is looking to intern for a professional sports team to gain experience in the field. He chose to take the gender in mass media class in order to gain a greater perspective and gain knowledge of other viewpoints. He has taken three years of Spanish in high school, as well as one semester at Iowa. Throughout the OurBlook experience, Bills is looking to gain knowledge in his journalistic abilities and communications skills, as well as expanding his perspective on women and different cultures.