Somaiyah Hafeez, one of this year's finalists for Thomson's Young Journalist of the Year Award, had a transformative visit to London. As the only finalist able to travel to Britain, she participated in a mobile journalism course, visited renowned newsrooms including the BBC and The Guardian, and attended the Foreign Press Association Media Awards, where she was recognised as one of the runners-up. Here, Somaiyah, who's from Balochistan in Pakistan and currently studying for a masters in data journalism at Columbia Journalism School, reflects on her experience.
What was it like visiting leading UK newsrooms? Going to all these newsrooms like the BBC, The Guardian, Financial Times, and Channel 4 was one of the most exciting parts of this trip because these are news outlets that every journalist dreams to work for. So, when you get the opportunity to go and meet the editors and form those connections and see the insides of a newsroom and how they work, its like a dream come true. And especially for me, as a freelance journalist who has never really been a staffer for any news outlet, to know how a newsroom works made me wonder what it could it be like to work in one. It was a really exciting, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an early-career journalist.
Somaiyah with Channel 4 project manager Ziad Al-Hasso
Tell us about your experience with mobile journalism training. In my career, I have been focussing on longform feature journalism, and Ive never had experiences with audio or video journalism. I got to learn a lot about mobile journalism and about how you can shoot a film or shoot a report using just your mobile phone. I feel like I learned an incredible amount in a very short time. I didnt think that I would really love doing video journalism, but after the session, I came out with this kind of love for it. And I want to go out and address those skills that I learned.
Mobile Journalism workshop with Cassius Rayner
Why is international media coverage of Balochistan important? I think that Balochistan as a region is very important to be covered in international media because thats the only way that important stories, like the political resistance movement that Baloch women are leading right now, is going to be written down in history. And the national media in Pakistan does not really pay that much attention to Balochistan because thats a part of the states narrative in how its dealing with the conflict in Balochistan, making it into an information blackhole where no news can come out from. Hence, it becomes very crucial that its given coverage in the international media.
What inspired your focus on data journalism? The idea of doing my masters in data journalism came from one of my submissions for the award, which was this data-driven story that I did for Kontinentalist on enforced disappearances in Balochistan. When that story came out, the way that it was received by people who were reading it made me realise that data journalism is indeed the future. Because the issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan was something that I had covered previously as well in multimedia platforms in the form of photographs and interviews in a written article. But nobody had ever covered the story from a data aspect. And when that was done, the story was able to paint the picture of how grave an issue this is, in a sort of a way that present-day media requires, which is to have a lot of visualisations and a lot of data analysis so that it speaks even louder to the audience.
Somaiyah receives her runners-up certificate from Thomsons Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Lord Chandos.
What does being a finalist for this award mean to you? Being a finalist for this award is a privilege. Im really glad that the stories that resulted in my nomination for this award are stories that are very important, stories that I always wanted to tell as a journalist. And because of this award, and because I was selected as a finalist, these stories are once again being talked about and being shared. So that I feel like is the most important part about this entire experience, which I am so grateful for. Obviously coming to London and getting to meet all these editors, going to all these newsrooms has enhanced my confidence as a young journalist. I feel like it has given me a really great networking experience.
What advice would you give to young journalists? One advice that I would give to young journalists is to never doubt themselves. Because I think, especially as a young journalist, when youre starting off, you constantly doubt yourself. So I would say try not to do that,' at least, because its impossible not to. Also, put your work out there, especially if you are a freelance journalist or if you are very shy about your work, or if you're constantly questioning whether you're doing a good job or not. Just put your work out there, because if you do not, nobodys going to know the incredible job that youre doing. Find stories that youre passionate about and follow them. And just be fearless.
More on the Young Journalist Award
Afghan Reporter Wins Young Journalist of the Year 2024
Meet the Young Journalist Finalists 2024
Shortlist Young Journalist Award 2024
-- Explore our projects across the globe
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
15/04/2026
From immersive storytelling to laugh-out-loud comedies, podcasts are booming in ...
15/04/2026
Books have always moved with us, whether tucked in our bags or humming in our he...
15/04/2026
For many artists, independent venues are where music careers begin and fan communities take shape. Independent venue operators work hard every day to keep local...
15/04/2026
From gripping thrillers to poignant memoirs, the 21st century has had no shortage of unforgettable books. To celebrate the standout storytelling of our modern e...
15/04/2026
Vintage broadcast experts release second plug-in
Telsie T is the second plug-in to be released by SonicWorld, a German audio company who specialise in servi...
15/04/2026
Includes eight free UAD plug-ins
Universal Audio's latest bundle brings together a selection of their renowned plug-ins and virtual instruments, and is ...
15/04/2026
Maximum uptime for broadcasters: Rohde & Schwarz launches R&S BroadcastShield at...
15/04/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, announces the market launch of the ACCE...
15/04/2026
Wednesday 15 April 2026
Introducing Smart Home from Sky, a simple way to stay c...
15/04/2026
Wednesday 15 April 2026
The Burbs confirmed to return to Sky and NOW for a second season
Mystery-comedy series, The Burbs, will continue its exclusive resid...
15/04/2026
With new broadcast standards evolving all over the world and OTT streaming striving for the pole position in media consumption, both next-gen video and audio co...
15/04/2026
Harmonic's XOS Media Processor Delivers Exceptional Video Quality to More th...
15/04/2026
Five Decades of Box Office Intelligence: Comscore Celebrates 50 Years of Movie M...
15/04/2026
Two Cities Television and Keeper Pictures to produce six-part series in association with Screen Ireland for RT and ITV Studios
RT has commissioned Two Citie...
15/04/2026
RT 100
RT unveils The Signal' a specially commissioned 60-second film
...
14/04/2026
ToolsOnAir and Omnistream Bring Mobile SRT Contribution into Professional 24/7 P...
14/04/2026
Captures a trio of renowned polysynths
The latest software to join AIR Music Tech's extensive catalogue captures the sound of three sought-after polysyn...
14/04/2026
Free offering includes 10 powerful plug-ins
United Plugins have announced the launch of a new bundle that brings together 10 of their pro-audio plug-ins, an...
14/04/2026
Julian Coryell joins virtual session player line-up
Announced at NAMM 2026, Celemony's Tonalic kits DAW users out with real performances by world-class ...
14/04/2026
X-Rite Pantone Color Academy Grand Opening in Shanghai
On March 27, 2026, X-Rite Pantone, the global authority in color standards and color science, held the...
14/04/2026
14 Apr 2026
VEON and JazzWorld Receive Competition Commission of Pakistan Appro...
14/04/2026
Tuesday 14 April 2026
Nicola Coughlan and Aimee Lou Wood to host next two episo...
14/04/2026
Lead writer and executive producer Jack Lothian joins alongside lead director Je...
14/04/2026
Wuppertal April 14, 2026
Thomas Riedel Acquires Premium Manufacturer ARRIStrategic Alignment With the Riedel Group for Innovation and Growth
Thomas Riedel, f...
14/04/2026
New Service Simplifies Integration of AI Applications with Exceptional Reliabili...
14/04/2026
Luxembourg, April 14, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, today annou...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAir Composition Builder 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: The Composition Builder 2026 application for macOS enables TV stations and Live Event broadcast...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAr just:live pro 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: just:live pro 2026 is a Multi-Channel Live Production Playout solution for video and static or real-ti...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAr just:play pro 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: just:play pro 2026 is a Multi-Channel automated 24/7 Master Control playout solution with SD, HD and U...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAr live:cut 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: live:cut is an option to just:in mac pro 2025 and enables multicamera production workflows for up to 16 cam...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAir Just In Mac Lite NDI 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: The Just In Mac Lite NDI application is a streamlined media capture solution designed specific...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAir Just In Mac Lite 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: The Just In Mac Lite application is a streamlined media capture solution designed specifically for...
13/04/2026
ToolsOnAir just:in mac pro 2026 Boilerplate
More Details: just:in mac pro is a macOS-based client-server multichannel capture solution to record SDI, HDMI, N...
13/04/2026
Intuitive EQ plug-in gets an upgrade
Following its official launch back in February 2026, Musik Hack's intuitive EQ plug-in has been treated to its firs...
13/04/2026
Flagship soft synth collection expanded
The latest version of UVI's flagship vintage-inspired soft synth collection has just arrived, expanding the suit...
13/04/2026
Free version of innovative string library arrives
Released in October 2025, Lux Orchestral Strings was said to be Sonuscore's most ambitious library to ...
13/04/2026
The Girls' Research Camp is part of the Technology - Future in Bavaria edu...
13/04/2026
Rohde & Schwarz transforms submarine communications for real time underwater dom...
13/04/2026
Rohde & Schwarz enables Pulsar signal simulation to support next-generation navi...
13/04/2026
The search for Ireland's newest country music star is live on Friday 17 Apri...
13/04/2026
Monday 13 April 2026
Global environmental action NGO WRAP brings recycling to l...
13/04/2026
J nger Audio has joined the EBU ADM Implementers Group (ADM-IG) as a founding me...
13/04/2026
FOX Latin America Announces The Launch Of The FOX Channel In Central America And...
Somaiyah Hafeez, one of this year's finalists for Thomson's Young Journalist of the Year Award, had a transformative visit to London. As the only finalist able to travel to Britain, she participated in a mobile journalism course, visited renowned newsrooms including the BBC and The Guardian, and attended the Foreign Press Association Media Awards, where she was recognised as one of the runners-up. Here, Somaiyah, who's from Balochistan in Pakistan and currently studying for a masters in data journalism at Columbia Journalism School, reflects on her experience.
