It's been a fulfilling week, to say the least.

You know the feeling when you create something with a certain intention, and that intention is actualized?

TMJ was always created with purpose; to be this intersection of faith and journalism. It was foreign to most people, admonished by consultants and even some journalism professors. How could the media be independent if it included faith?

As we launched our investigative report on the hijab this week, I realized that it was actually quite possible to include faith in journalism and tell the stories that were never told before. I was also surprised to learn through the investigation what I did, the colonialist roots in the weaponizing of the hijab and the sinister agendas of today. As a woman who dons the hijab, I appreciated this perspective and it gave me a newfound respect for something that has only been taunted by the media and society at large.

This week has also been a very heavy content week, with so many new stories rolling out, and multiple projects lined up. As I've been editing and publishing stories, two new original stories were brought to the TMJ desk that need investigation, and once fact checked, a light shined on. It's invigorating to see that people are seeking TMJ out for the stories that would otherwise be ignored by mainstream media, and even other independent media. That being said, there's an excruciating amount of anxiety that goes into taking on projects of this caliber, where we want to do justice to the stories but also must do our due diligence. The path to truth is thorny, and we are bound to please few.

Still, it is important that we are liked. Fatima and I brought work to my home office while I recover, and we talked about ways that we could improve our relations with our readers and viewers. We created plans on how to build more grassroots programs to interact with our local communities, as well as bring more interns in to expand our collective. The addition of two new shows that focus on human interest stories will strike the balance we need to pull in viewers who may not necessarily love politics, but seek inspiration from tantalizing human journeys.

In the coming month, I intend to do a lot more interviews remotely as we realized that remote work means you get to tap into a global pool of interviewees who have much to share with the world. While my monologues will take a pause for now, I am certain a better and more marvelous month awaits.

As we speak, I am sifting through the editor's desk to look at the upcoming storyboard; suffice to say, we are drowning in content (which is not a bad problem to have). Which stories go where, on the front page, or below the fold, are all decided by me, the editor. I've never quite realized the enormous responsibility held by the editors desk, and I now understand how carefully stories are curated even in large media organizations. Everything is consciously done, even the stories that are ignored or rejected.

The onus then falls on TMJ to bring to the forefront the stories that fall below the fold, and we hold this torch with great honor.

Your editor,

Zainabrights

TMJ is 100% reader funded

Our mission at TMJ is to fill gaps in media when it comes to untold stories, elevating minority voices and covering news and its impact holistically. We seek to uphold high journalistic values with utmost editorial independence, which means we rely on our readers to support our work.We are 100% reader funded and supported. If you value what we publish and agree that our world needs alternative voices in media, please consider becoming a Patron. Check out our Patreon’s details below News Round-up 👇

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TMJ’s Patreon

Through the generous contributions of our community and truth-seekers, we’ve grown to a team of 20 people in less than a year and are ready to launch 2 new shows. To continue your support, become a member of our Patreon by signing up here. 

On Patreon, we have several different Membership Tiers like:

• ‘The Ally’ which includes general support for our journalists working locally and abroad.

• ‘The Visionary’ which includes immediate access to TMJ Podcasts including For God and Country and The Blue Sofa Talks. Visionaries will also get a first-look at TMJ Feature Stories.

• ‘The Analyst’ which includes early access, exclusive content, and never-before-seen reports.

• ‘The Academic’ which includes special reports and unlocking access to knowledge in the form of in-depth reporting.

• ‘The Advocate’ which includes a first look at content, gaining immediate access to all of our exclusive reports, and access to our podcasts... your name will also be up on our Hall of Fame.

Your contributions and support show us that the need for quality journalism still exists.

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:"What has a face and two hands but no arms or legs?”

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 Map’. Had you guessed it right?

And that's a wrap for this week! We hope you’re healthy and safe as we updated you on this Sunday while you were having your morning coffee.

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