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Topic: Arabia or Bust
| Author | Message |
| rev1976 | Posted – 1/14/2008 10:38:10 PM | show profile I got some good responses on another thread about moving up from a small daily, so I'd like to ask about my other, more long-term goal: reporting in the Middle East. I'm looking at a few jobs at bigger papers, and I've noticed the higher circulation dailies hire reporters for very specific beats instead of "general assignment." My question is, which beats should I be looking at, keeping my long-term goal in mind? Which beat would prepare me best for eventually reporting in the Middle East? If there's anyone here who's reported in that region, what advice would you give? What do you wish you'd done a few years before you went there? I'm studying Arabic, and reading all I can on the culture/religion/politics of the Middle East. What else should I be doing? I've thought of e-mailing the reporters I admire who are in the Middle East now, and studying their bios, but I wanted to see if anyone on here had any advice as well, especially if anyone's worked in Israel/Palestine. Thank you. |
| Sam Waynewright | Posted – 1/24/2008 11:46:47 AM | show profile Arabia or bust There are several jobs open at a new regional paper to be launched in March in Abu Dhabi, editorial desk jobs. Local money, mainly Brit management. Check it out on the various job sites, Good luck, |
| chucho | Posted – 1/24/2008 12:21:42 PM | show profile The best thing you can do is save up some money and move there: Amman, Damascus, Cairo, Abu Dhabi or Dubai. If you're a guy the Saudi Gazette and Arab News hires fairly regularly. Women and men who want to being their wives will have a harder time getting media jobs in the KSA. The aforementioned paper is paying very well, but they're looking for some ME experience. You might as well try. |
| grapes | Posted – 1/24/2008 4:35:25 PM | show profile One thing about studying Arabic--if you're in a big city, see if you can find a tutor with whom you can practice conversational (Aammiyya) Arabic with. You're probably studying classical right now, and I can tell you now it's not really going to help that much b/c people speak the colloquial mainly--not the classical. And, depending on what country you're in, though I think this holds true for most, there's a big difference between the two and aammiyya will serve you better professionally. |
| rev1976 | Posted – 2/4/2008 8:07:26 PM | show profile Grapes, I'm studying standard, and also working with a tutor that speaks a mix of Lebanese/Syrian dialect. So it seems a better approach would be to move there and take a job then move up, versus staying in the US and then moving up then going there? I haven't thought of that. Thanks everyone. |
