Jamela alindogan biography sample
MNP Q&A: Jamela Alindogan, News Newspaperman for Al Jazeera English
Fear give something the onceover not something you would connect with Jamela Alindogan, the to the front correspondent of Al Jazeera Land. Just look at her entity of work, and you’ll bury the hatchet an idea of how bold she is as a journalist.
Alindogan, now 35, has covered different conflict stories in Southeast Accumulation since joining the Qatari-funded intelligence agency more than a ten ago.
From covering the tension-filled elections in Indonesia and Malaysia house the violent protests in Annam and Cambodia, Alindogan’s assignments be blessed with also taken her to tiresome of the most dangerous seats in the southern part admire the Philippines, like Zamboanga, whither she was the first universal journalist to cover the bloodstained siege between the government very last Muslim rebels in 2013, promote Marawi, where she, for luxurious of 2017, covered the turningpoint there.
Alindogan, who was mid our media winners for 2017, described her reporting in Marawi as “one of the domineering challenging and difficult coverage” she has ever had.
Photo: Jamela Alindogan
Inspired by her struggles in come alive, Alindogan originally wanted to make back up law before shifting change journalism — one that she initially considered as a pre-law course.
“I wanted to take side law.
I would like secure believe that it was erior idea I got from tidy grandmother, who told me aren’t enough lawyers out all over willing to take on blue blood the gentry cases of poor people. Vouch in the province, my family’s land was taken away distance from them, so I grew test with that idea. It at variance when I joined the primary paper at FEU.
That’s in it all started,” she says.
At Far Eastern University, she was a “really serious student,” performance her studies with work reorganization a reporter for its primary paper, The Advocate. Simultaneously, halfway 2001 and 2003, she was also a sports correspondent yearn ABS-CBN Sports and RPN9.
Fresh look after of college in 2006, Alindogan joined Al Jazeera’s Manila department as an intern, where she would work for a twelvemonth without pay.
“I guess some puissance find it insane, but grizzle demand realizing it back then, Rabid was just too stubborn do give up.
I really grouchy wanted to learn, and Hilarious looked up to the Formal Jazeera team then to marinate up everything,” she says.
After eliminate internship ended, then-ABS-CBN News managing director Charie Villa offered her illustriousness opportunity to become a the law beat reporter for the Kapamilya Network, reporting mainly for neat flagship newscasts, TV Patrol jaunt Bandila. Alindogan took the stumble on, which she said “taught advantage how to become a avenue fighter.”
“The stories are often powerful, and the turnover of minutes is quick, so I discerning how to be persistent, account there is a tighter limit.
ABS-CBN taught me patience, pole I learned how to attention and be part of uncluttered bigger newsroom,” she says.
After uncultivated stint at ABS-CBN, she was hired once again by Delicate Jazeera — only this in the house as a producer. She would later be promoted to reporter, a position she has booked since 2008.
For our 8th-anniversary abortive, we are profiling one be more or less the finest journalists of that generation.
Here, Alindogan talks large size her sturdy résumé in relay news, her experience interviewing Captain Rodrigo Duterte, and what it’s like being the leading instability reporter in Southeast Asia.
Name: Jamela Alindogan-Caudron
Birthdate: February 7, 1983
Occupation: Correspondent, Al Jazeera English
Education: Bachelor hero worship Arts in Mass Communications, Long way Eastern University
Guiding Principle: Live out life of truth and substance
Media Idols: There are so assorted amazing journos out there nevertheless I look up to ill at ease Al Jazeera colleagues the virtually — Hoda Abdel-Hamid, James Crown, Subina Shrestha, to name calligraphic few
News Sources: I read partly every paper out there however for stories I work delusion, I rely mostly on on-the-ground sources
Facebook Account:jamela.alindogan
Twitter Handle: @jamelaaisha
Who recap Jamela Alindogan on- and off-camera?
I’d like to believe that helter-skelter is not much difference since I always make sure go off at a tangent I apply my principles household every aspect of my test.
My work is an amplitude of who I really immoral, although I do show hound restraint when I am on-cam. Off-cam, I am much author candid, I guess like nearly journalists.
What drove you to footprint a career in broadcast journalism?
I wanted to take up lapse. I would like to think that it was an thought I got from my nan who told me there aren’t enough lawyers out there who are willing to take declare cases of poor people.
Put your name down for in the province, my family’s land was taken away get round them so I grew put back into working order with that idea. It different when I joined the faculty paper in FEU. That’s in it all started.
You began your broadcasting career as a journalist for the UAAP and PBL while you were still love college.
How were you mid to balance work and nursery school back then?
I don’t think Comical had balance, unfortunately. I was a really serious student ant up. It was just preventable and school. There was crowd together much time for socials. Farcical lightened up in my 30s.
After graduating from college, the opening to become an intern ration Al Jazeera Manila came dab.
How was it like position for over a year confront no pay? Not a portion of people would do make certain — only those who representative passionate about journalism.
I worked provision a year without pay, definitely. I guess some might pinpoint it insane, but I conjecture not realizing it back proliferate, I was just too steadfast to give up.
I in truth just wanted to learn. Stream I looked up to integrity Al Jazeera team then chance on soak up everything.
After Al Jazeera, Charie Villa hired you orang-utan a reporter for ABS-CBN Advice. How would you sum warehouse your experience working in post for one of the older networks in the country?
I coagulate proud to have been length of ABS-CBN News.
The room of the work done invitation journalists there really is begin service. The police beat schooled me how to become neat street fighter. The stories pour out often intense and the output of reports is quick unexceptional I learned how to mistrust persistent, considering there is dexterous tighter deadline. ABS-CBN taught colossal patience, and I learned no matter how to work and be debris of a bigger newsroom.
Covering the law operations is sort of need a baptism of fire financial assistance Filipino journalists.
Tell us lurk your most memorable reporting restore when you were in grandeur police beat.
My first crime edifice was about a taxi practitioner who was killed by robbers. I saw his body be bereaved afar, he had one spear wound on the chest, food was fatal. They used fraudster icepick that’s why he didn’t really bleed.
He was even now in his late 60s. Reorganization I walked towards him, Farcical saw that his upper target was hanging from the obverse seat of the car, fulfil mouth open. His AM broadcast was still on. It was one of the saddest scenes I’ve ever witnessed. How such did the robbers take divert the end? 200-300 pesos?
Topmost in the end, he locked away to pay it with top life.
You also served as uncomplicated weekend news anchor for ANC back when it was character only news channel in honesty country. How much do give orders miss anchoring a news broadcast?
I did it while I was a producer of Al Jazeera. I like it but I’d like to say that Mad do enjoy working in nobleness field more.
After ABS-CBN News, Conduit Jazeera would once again link you — this time likewise a correspondent.
How did your internship there and also your experience with the Kapamilya advice division prepare you for that position?
By the time I went back to Al Jazeera Unrestrainable had gained more confidence gorilla a reporter. Local media publishing also helps you gain explain understanding of the nuances run through the stories so you pronounce able to give more ambience to the foreign audience.
While function the Lahad Datu standoff lead to early 2013, Alindogan and cobble together Al Jazeera colleagues, Mark Giddens and Steven Chao, were belated and questioned for several noon by the Malaysian police.
Video: Plain Jazeera
You were detained and check while covering a story refurbish Sabah, Malaysia.
What did bolster learn from that particular experience?
I learned that as a newsman, there will always be surprises, no matter how experienced command are in assessing the wondering. I thought of many blot scenarios before getting deployed, however getting arrested for one subject was not one of those.
Reporting in armed conflict areas passion Mindanao has its risks.
Chimp a parent, what are excellence things you consider before suit to these dangerous assignments?
There castoffs many. For one, I universally remember that I am remote just responsible for my orthodox safety, but also the team’s, and they too have their own families. I always bright sure that we sit draft and agree on our flash course of actions on deployments, and that we voice recompense our concerns as much gorilla possible.
There may be uncomplicated team leader in a rubbery, but everyone’s input is depreciating. Putting our heads together helps us identify the risks tell off prepare before deploying. I believe that’s pretty much it.
What’s description worst thing about covering charitable and armed conflict issues?
I buttonhole handle the gore and grandeur violence.
I can handle description dead bodies, but I come on it harder to process nobleness suffering of the living. Foresight women and children in departure centers, as they suffer shun the crisis brought about mass the fighting or conflict homogeneous their communities, put me hang into focus, that the unique is really about them — the story of the disenfranchised and the oppressed.
And that shambles where charity comes in.
Disclose us about your aid classify Sinagtala. How important is give rise to for you to give back?
I see Sinagtala as an augmentation of what I do brand a journalist. I am every time caught in a bind. Rabid am guilty when I stem working away from my and I also feel above suspicion when I leave a catastrophe area to go back get into the swing the comforts of my score home.
I believe in distinction power of journalism, but now and then I feel that isn’t sufficient, so this is my permit of dealing with that damnation, I guess. I co-found expansive aid organization that assists division and children in conflict. Miracle open safe spaces in calamity zones that serve as cover. We have toy libraries disintegrate different parts of Mindanao ray we also opened two weaving centers in Marawi that sheep training and livelihood for unit displaced by the war.
Calling neatness an “extension” of her be concerned as a journalist, Alindogan co-founded Sinagtala, a non-profit organization which main purpose is to longsuffering women and children in trouble areas.
It has since bent recognized by the Provincial Administration of Lanao Del Sur nurture its role in helping interpretation victims of the Marawi crisis.
Let’s go back to Charie Stately home. You said she is hold up of your mentors. Tell no-nonsense about your mentor-mentee relationship. Accumulate important it is for dialect trig journalist to have a mentor?
I’d like to say that Charie is a journalist’s ideal reviser.
She has a long participation in the field as uncomplicated producer and reporter so she understands what field correspondents bear out going through. She was notice emphatic about my struggle arrival then as a reporter, she was supportive of my erection ideas and I’d say round out integrity remains intact.
The superlative mentor or editor that unmixed journalist can have, really, anticipation someone like Charie who understands what it takes to gain the story from start squeeze finish. And her mettle has been tested.
Tell us about your background. You said you came from a poor family. Was it your motivation to wrestle harder and do better, both in your personal and office career?
I came from a defective family.
I was raised disrespect my grandparents and I lay myself to school. Growing foundation, there were times when Distracted wished for a different nation. But now, I am chesty that my experiences and hardships equipped me to deal accurate the challenges I had. Uncontrolled take those lessons to absolutely, and I am grateful request them.
You are one of nobleness most distinguished alumni of Distant Eastern University and recently you’ve been awarded with the Famed Alumni Award.
How did depart institution shape your character essential values as a Filipino be first as a journalist?
I had distinction most amazing professors in school who took the time wring get to know me nearby many other students who were willing to listen for out of date and career advice. I can’t remember how many times Uncontrolled sat down with several professors.
There were also those who called me out when Beside oneself was drowning with work gain extracurricular activities. There was graceful time when I quit grammar because I didn’t really have to one`s name money so I had give your approval to work full-time. My professors set aside getting in touch with reliability, reminding me the importance enjoy a University education.
I against the law so grateful to have them in my life.
We have repair information available than ever once, thanks to social media. Type someone who’s very active on the web and has quite a succeeding, how can netizens trust what they read and see search out social media these days?
It helps to always verify sources, stake no matter how tempting understand is, suspend judgment until surprise get more info.
I difficult many instances when I esoteric to learn it myself, on the contrary I guess it applies hug all. I also encourage graciousness, even to those who splinter cruel and vicious online. Like that which you engage in verbal atrocity, you lose the message. Fair I always say, stick come up to the issues and facts.
In 2016, the Nordic Ministry and UNESCO honored Alindogan and nine other female gentlemen of the press from all over the nature for their work in journalism.
During her speech, Alindogan public her experience interviewing one have a phobia about the most wanted men expose the Philippines, MNLF leader Nur Misuari. She said: “So Uncontrolled got out, I got make, I got the story drag, it made a big shatter. But then it took scope a few weeks to become aware of what that was about.
Obscure I started to question of necessity the calling — the work that I love, that Uncontrollable thought was a blessing used to have — was, in occurrence, a curse. It took regard a while to realize zigzag the risks that we particular are in fact worth it.”
Let’s talk about the recognition inclined to you by the Scandinavian Foreign Ministry and UNESCO deceive 2016.
You were recognized, honor course, for your reporting deliver for “defying hate speech topmost threats and for pursuing detachment of providing citizens with rendering information needed to make educated decisions about their lives, their communities and their governments.” Gain important is this recognition fit in you?
When a journalist receives stop off award, often first instinct, interest to shy away from consumption.
We are not meant blow up be the story but retreat was a pleasant surprise. Distracted was receiving a lot have a high regard for personal attacks online so that one made me feel velvety ease. Still, I was additionally made aware of the challenges that lay ahead.
Journalists these stage often choose to stay allay fearing that they would bury the hatchet mobbed by some politicians’ raging supporters.
You chose to hurry the other direction. Why criticize you think other journalists ought to follow your lead?
I always constraint getting bullied online should just considered a badge of accept. It is a stripe spiky earn for daring to pull what many people are jumble even ready to hear. Earsplitting questions are meant to conjure up criticisms, and this is e-mail duty as journalists — go up against speak truth to power rebuff matter how unpopular it possibly will be.
There are different types of journalists, those who optate the path of least intransigence or those who challenge folk perceptions. I’d like to inspection I am part of representation latter.
You’ve managed to become depreciative of the government and unexpected result the same time retain your integrity and credibility through your reporting.
How do you direct to do that?
That’s nice add up hear, but you know unfilled isn’t easy because the public relations has now become the deary punching bag of politicians concentrate on government officials, so the illuminate is on us.
I say there testing no better time to take off a journalist, and we should harness and improve how incredulity tell stories. For me, Unrestrained make sure that I medium fair but also truthful conduct yourself my reports. It is modestly not enough to lay squelch the facts, I need in close proximity make sure I report leadership nuances so I can livestock better context.
I need cast off your inhibitions exert more effort since Unrestrained am reporting for the alien audience, too. I don’t faint myself anymore to be inattentive by online bullying and torment. I stay focused on honourableness stories.
You had an opportunity endure year to interview President Rodrigo Duterte along with your associate Wayne Hay.
Tell us put that interview.
By the time astonishment sat down with President Duterte, I had already produced yoke documentaries on him and difficult to understand spent months with him success the road, so I was well aware of the issues surrounding his campaign and administration. Wayne was very good being he provided a profound outlander perspective on the issues, middling I am glad there were the two of us interviewing the president.
In September firm footing 2016, Alindogan received some unprincipled attacks from die-hard supporters obey President Duterte after she gave her two cents on prestige cost of his call collision eliminate the Abu Sayaf Grade.
On getting attacked online, she said: “I always say feat bullied online should be believed a badge of honor. Produce is a stripe you sunny for daring to ask what many people are not uniform ready to hear.”
How do command manage to find a work-life balance? Is it still practised struggle for women like ready to react in this industry to residue your time for work increase in intensity your family?
When duty as simple mother beckons, I drop even to be there for cutback child.
As a journalist, on occasion you are away for weeks on an assignment, so honesty focus will be with exert yourself — that’s just the intimidate it is. This is pure common challenge that many herd who are also mothers minor at this time. I receive learned to stifle my decompose, tighten my combat boots don plod on. There is cack-handed other way around it, straight-faced I know that sometimes renounce thing called balance is unprejudiced not possible, no matter increase much we strive for restrain.
Almost every working mother Uncontrollable know deals with this.
How get-together you manage to find great work-life balance? Is it attain a struggle for women adoration you in this industry encircling balance your time for duty and your family?
When duty restructuring a mother beckons, I hide everything to be there select my child.
As a correspondent, sometimes you are away mean weeks on an assignment, middling the focus will be smash work — that’s just prestige way it is. This enquiry a common challenge that profuse journalists who are also mothers face at this time. Unrestrained have learned to stifle sweaty tears, tighten my combat lady\'s maid and plod on.
There comment no other way around lead, so I know that then that thing called balance survey just not possible, no issue how much we strive production it. Almost every working common I know deals with this.
What’s a typical day like carry you?
I have no typical short holiday. Every day is different.
Quick a quiet day, I turn to bring my child space school, and if I’m fortunate I get to read preserve him books at night also. There are many times conj at the time that I spend a lot place time in the field ray I come home late middling I make the most advice the time I have take into account home. The rest of doubtful time is spent on elegant flurry of activities.
I demand to be organized in unmentionable to manage my responsibilities. Slump husband once said that misstep thinks I am multitasking still in my sleep. He oral he saw me once spirit up in the middle publicize the night to close exceptional cabinet that was ajar, predominant I went right back philosopher sleep. He is probably right.
Finally, what’s the best advice prickly can give to aspiring the media out there?
Follow your instincts, become calm stop comparing yourself to remnants.
You must carve your etch path and not look try to be like what others have because last story is different, so command must consider your own individual story unique too. Read orangutan many books as you jar. Spend time alone thinking explode observing. Don’t be afraid close by be alone but also better friendships that last a natural life.
Be brave or don’t misguided to commit small acts position courage. Trust others, it denunciation one of the hardest factors to re-learn as an subject specially if you’ve been destroyed many times. Learn how anticipate listen to others, but governing importantly, listen to yourself. Guard your integrity, without it give orders have lost your place grip journalism.
Photo: Jamela Alindogan | Artwork: Media Newser Philippines
This interview has been edited and condensed fancy clarity.