INTERVIEW: Ms. Shabina S. Khatri

ABOUT

Ms. Shabina S. Khatri is a Muslim American journalist freelancing in Doha, Qatar. While in the Gulf, Khatri has picked up some handy skills, including the fundamentals of web publishing and some tricks to understanding Khaleeji, the local Arabic dialect.

She has also reported on Doha’s struggle to transform from a tiny desert peninsula that imports everything (including people – expats comprise 80% of the population) into the region’s premier cultural, political and economic hub. Born and raised in suburban Detroit, Khatri has previously worked as an editor/reporter for the Wall Street Journal and a reporter for the Detroit Free Press. Though a jack of many trades, she is master of some, with strengths in business, higher education and religion reporting.

In 2004, she graduated with distinction from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor with dual bachelor’s degrees in business and Spanish. Also that year, Khatri founded the Muslim American Journalists Association. Born to immigrant Indian parents, she is a member of the Asian American Journalists Association and is conversational in Arabic, Spanish and Gujarati.

During an interview, she shared her thoughts, as both a blogger and a journalist about Social Media in Qatar:

INTERVIEW

1. What made you decide to stay in Qatar?
I moved to Qatar because my husband, also a journalist, works full-time here. I am working part-time as a freelance journalist and taking care of our 5-month-old daughter.

2. Are there any reasons to why you blog?
I initially started off as a print journalist writing for daily newspapers. But to keep up with industry changes and to reach a much broader audience, blogging makes good sense. There are so many amazing ways to use the Internet, and I believe it has helped empower consumers by making them a part of the news conversation and allowing them to set the news agenda, as opposed to passively receiving content via the morning paper or broadcast.

3. Do you engage in other social media tools as well? Why?
I have found micro-blogging in the form of a Twitter feed called @dohanews to be particularly enjoyable because I can share news that people find helpful and relevant to their lives. I also have a personal Twitter account that I use to keep in touch with friends and family living far away. I have been resisting Facebook for years because frankly, I don't have the time to keep up with it. Though I do sometimes log on under a friend's account to see how everyone is doing.

4. As a blogger, what role do you think social media play in the business/journalism/PR arena?
As I alluded to earlier, social media brings the power to the people in ways that we've never seen before. For example, I once tweeted about a bad experience I've had with an international shipping company, and to my surprise a member of the company's customer service personnel tweeted me right back asking about my troubles. Businesses are realizing that negative publicity can really hurt their bottom lines, and are working to make sure complainers are taken care of.

Journalism-wise, social media has changed the rules. It's not as important these days to break the news so much as it is to make sense of it. There are a lot of rumors floating around on the Internet because social media consists of user-generated content. Journalists are still figuring out how to harness that content while fulfilling their responsibility of seeking the truth and reporting it.

In terms of PR, social media makes it possible for even the smallest startup to spread its message far and wide. It's amazing how large and small the world can be once you have a computer and an Internet connection.

5. From your experience, are more companies in Qatar engaging in social media? Do you have examples?
I have seen an increasing number of companies in Qatar embracing social media, including hotels, restaurants, English-language newspapers and universities. Web startups like www.qatarsocial.com and events like the Doha Tribeca Film Festival also have a significant presence on Facebook and in the Tweetosphere. Qatar Airways has gotten particularly adept at responding to tweeter's complaints about their services.

6. Please rank the top 3 online channels where you get your information from.
If you are referring to Qatar-based online channels, I frequent the Peninsula and Gulf Times newspaper websites daily, as well as the social forum Qatar Living.

7. What made these channels so appealing?
They provide me a good mix of what's happening in Qatar. Sometimes even a small nugget of information listed in the Peninsula can turn into a big story, if that story is tracked long enough. For example, I wrote an article on the numerous delays facing the Pearl-Qatar, a real estate development outside of Doha that should have been completed years ago. The newspapers here dutifully republish press releases issued by the company, but over a period of time it became clear that the completion deadline kept being quietly pushed back. Though the newspapers didn't ask any questions, I was able to, thanks to their reports.

8. Do you have any recommendations to other interesting/resourceful Qatar blogs?
There are lots of Qatar blogs out there! Qatar Visitor is very helpful and informative. Qatar Living is a great way to reach out to the expat community here. For a Qatari's perspective, check out www.iloveqatar.net.

9. What are your thoughts on the changing trends and influence of media consumption in Qatar?
Even though Internet penetration is pretty high here, Qatar is still a newspaper country. People here love to read newspapers and these companies have not been highly affected by industry trends away from newspapers. I have noticed however that even in the past year an increasing number of expats and Qataris are embracing social media such as Twitter. I am happy about this because in a country where there are very few social avenues in which nationals and expats can interact, the Internet has really helped break down barriers.

10. Do you face any resistance/restrictions in writing, blogging or tweeting? How does the online censorship in Qatar affect you and your work?
Online censorship has yet to affect my work in Qatar. However, some websites are blocked here and some officials do tend to freeze up around journalists and people here have very little understanding of how the media works. Expressions like 'off the record' are not commonly understood and people can be camera shy, which is a bit frustrating if I simply need to get, for example, a quote on ice cream or house-hunting. Still, people are also very trusting. It could be because I am a woman (less than 30% of the population in Qatar is women) and thus more disarming, but strangers are usually happy to be interviewed when I approach them. It's different than reporting in the US, where I am from, but I enjoy the challenge.

To get in touch, you can add her on LinkedIn, follow her on Twitter and view her contributions on Global Voices’ Qatar page.

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