This week truly tested my scope as a journalist.

As some of you may know, working at TMJ News is my first "real" job working in media after grad school, though I have several years of writing news under my belt.

This week however, is not something they prepare you for in school. Though I have had my fair share of run ins and rejection, the piece I'm covering now sent shivers down my spine. It's dealing with some of the worst cases of Islamophobia, the prison system, and getting to the bottom of the truth, no matter how nitty gritty. It's the kind of story that makes you question your own safety; is this what a day as a journalist looks like?

While I've been chasing stories and also had an interview yesterday with Marina Hassan from Lebanon on the power of social media, I realize we've pivoted a little towards curating stories that are important but also effective. We've created lengthy stories but came to terms with how the world digests news, and its rarely taking the time to understand something at the 40 minute mark. We decided to strike that balance with investigative reports for the reader who wants to do the deep dive, but also have the shorts and videos that help viewers keep up with relevant stories. Short moving pieces also have quicker turn around time so we can get them out faster.

This week, we also had the debut of our new podcast Muslims of the Melting Pot with TMJ's host Sara Salimi where topics surrounding American Muslim identity are broached. The first guest "That Muslim Guy" (in the picture above) brought humor and wit as Sara and him bantered throughout the enlightening conversation. The sneak peak reels on social media for first looks on Patreon did so well, people everywhere were messaging me about how the show was such a great idea.

It makes me immensely proud as editor that we are making an everlasting space where we can utterly be ourselves, speak our truths and represent our communities without feeling the pressure of sacrificing our values. What is most important here is bringing in diverse voices, young and old, to share pearls of wisdom with our viewers and readers. It's our job as the masthead to continue paving the way in creating our most excellent collective.

Your editor,

Zainabrights

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As mentioned above, we’ve just launched the first episode of our new podcast ‘Muslims of the Melting Point’ where Mohamad (@thatmuslimguyy) delves deep into what it means for Western Muslims to experience and grapple with multiple identities at the same time. As a content creator who covers religion and politics through the lens of comedy, Mohamad offers a compelling take on the unique challenges Muslims face when attempting to integrate into a society that doesn’t always represent their values.Watch the complete episode at our Patreon.

As you become a Patron, your contributions and support show us that the need for quality journalism still exists and this is what keeps us going.

Can you guess this week's riddle?

We should never miss a chance to solve a fun riddle on a Sunday. So, here we go:"I am light as a feather, yet the strongest man cannot hold me for much more than a minute. What am I?"

If you have an answer reply with your best guess. The correct answer will be revealed in our next Newsletter. 😉P.S: The answer to the last week’s riddle is ‘A Clock’. Had you guessed it right?

And that's a wrap for this week! We hope you’re healthy and safe today while having your morning coffee.

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