MAMUN M. ADIL: What does receiving the Kathy Gannon Award mean to you?

SAIMA MOHSIN: On a professional level, it means a great deal, as despite working as a journalist for nearly 30 years, I have never won an individual award for my work – although I have been part of an award-winning team. The award gave me validation and made me feel both respected and recognised. It also means a lot because it is named after Kathy Gannon whom I respect very much. On a personal level, the award signified that my peers respect my work, which meant a lot for my self-esteem – it took quite a battering after the injury I suffered while working for CNN in Jerusalem. Ultimately, receiving the award has given me renewed vigour in a way I did not anticipate. It made me think that I was on the right path and I did the right thing by returning to TV. It has encouraged me to carry on doing what I do.

MMA: How are the recipients selected?

SM: This award is unique in that people do not enter for it. I didn’t know I had won it until the winners were announced, which made it all the more special. Senior people in the industry nominated people and various rounds of judging took place before the final selection.

MMA: Which aspects of your work do you think the award recognised?

SM: I think The Coalition For Women In Journalism recognised my body of work and the fact that, like Kathy Gannon, I care about the countries I have worked in and the people who live there. The presentation stated that I go beyond the headlines and statistics and think about people with empathy. I think they recognised my integrity and principles. How I conduct myself as a journalist, support people in the newsroom and mentor young people. Finally, I think they kept in mind the fact that my battle [with CNN] after my injury was not just for myself but for other journalists who suffer injuries in the field as well and spoke up despite the damage it could have done. In our industry, people who speak out can become pariahs.

MMA: You sued CNN for unfair dismissal and racial discrimination. What is the status of the case?

SM: A personal injury case with CNN was settled before Covid-19. The case for unfair dismissal is still in the courts and I am pursuing it as a matter of principle because journalists injured in the field should be able to continue to work, and there are a lot of journalists who have suffered various injuries and have disabilities, and if they can continue to work, why couldn’t I? I could have done so had I received the right kind of support.

MMA: What differentiates you from other journalists in the way you approach your work?

SM: I bring my unique character, upbringing and background to my work. I was raised by my mother, who was a survivor of Partition, and immigrated from India to Pakistan and then to the UK. She was a widow and raised my siblings and I on her own. I am a British Pakistani and a Muslim woman from a working-class background. All these aspects inform my work.

MMA: How do you apply these life experiences to your work?

SM: I bring a certain level of empathy towards people. I don’t have a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all approach. I spend time trying to understand situations and people and do my best to explain what is really going on. I have covered stories in 28 countries and spent a considerable amount of time understanding the people in those countries.

MMA: Which stories are the most memorable?

SM: I am not saying this because I am speaking to Aurora, but the time that I worked in Pakistan was significant for me. I worked at DawnNews from 2007 to 2010 and then as a special correspondent for PBS’ Newshour for a year. I left Pakistan to work for Channel 4, but returned in 2012 to report for Channel 4, PBS and CNN. I joined CNN initially as Pakistan’s correspondent in 2013 and then as an international correspondent from 2014 to 2017. I was at DawnNews when the channel was launched and it formed my character as a leader and an editor and informed my editorial stance. It was the first time I worked somewhere where my idealism about being a journalist was realised because I could see that my work was making a real impact. Conversations in the National Assembly took place because of the stories we covered and people discussed them as did the print media. I am very proud of what my team and DawnNews as a whole achieved. The channel changed the media landscape in Pakistan in terms of how journalism was done. Before that, there was more emphasis on infotainment and debates – discussions that went nowhere – while we covered stories in depth and followed them up with interviews with individuals and asked for accountability.

MMA: Which other memorable stories come to mind?

SM: Covering Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, the missing plane – it was a unique mystery, a story that comes around once in a lifetime. Others include the Rohingya Muslim crisis in Myanmar and the refugee crises in Europe in later years.

MMA: What does your work at Sky News entail?

SM: Sky News Today with Saima Mohsin airs on weekends from two to three in the afternoon. I often step in to cover the news hour, but because of my injury, I cannot work full-time. Being a presenter on a 24-hour news channel has been the most extraordinary experience of my career. I have been able to draw on my knowledge and experiences from all the countries I covered stories in.

MMA: After being an international correspondent, does being a presenter make you feel like you are in the backseat?

SM: No; I may have thought that earlier, but not anymore. If you are going to be presenting, there is no better place to do it than on a 24-hour news channel that covers breaking news. It’s almost like being a correspondent. In fact, I sometimes find it a little harder because, as a presenter, you cover multiple stories within the same timeframe. I broke the news about Boris Johnson’s resignation, Nicola Sturgeon’s arrest, the Iranian President’s helicopter crash and Imran Khan’s arrest. It’s like being an international correspondent while sitting in the studio.

MMA: Who has inspired you?

SM: Some incredible journalists who are too many to name. However, the people I have met along the way have inspired me the most, mainly because many of them said to me that without my story, their lives would not have changed or they would not have achieved what they were fighting for. When I was injured, I thought my career was over and I wondered if I had really done anything to bring about change, and it was those people who said to me, “Saima, if you weren’t there at a certain point in time, would anyone in the world know about this story?” It made me realise that what I do is worth it.

MMA: What is next for Saima Mohsin?

SM: I am at a point in life where I am very proud of my achievements. My self-esteem and self-respect are immovable now and the world is my oyster. This is the first time in my life that I have not set goals and targets for myself and it feels quite refreshing. I got married recently after a friend of 10 years reconnected with me out of the blue. So who knows what is next for Saima Mohsin? Bring it on.

For feedback: aurora@dawn.com