On February 16th I was lucky enough to attend a talk and discussion with journalist Shireen Ahmed, CBC Senior Contributor and contract lecturer in journalism at Toronto Metropolitan University. The event was hosted by Trent University Durham-GTA as part of their Black History Month events. 

Shireen Ahmed was born to immigrant parents who were both avid hockey fans, in particular supporters of the Montreal Canadiens. She spoke about how she grew up surrounded by sports but it was not until the Olympics that she saw women’s sports being presented on the same level as men’s. Ahmed received a MA in Journalism from Ryerson University (now TMU) and worked as a freelance journalist until she joined the CBC. In 2021 she was the first hijab-wearing and racialised woman to appear on TSN and remains one of only four hijab-wearing sports reporters in the US and Canada. 

Before attending the event I went onto the CBC website to read some of Ahmed’s writing and find out more about her values and perspectives. The first one that I was drawn to was an opinion piece about Black artist and illustrator Jo Dabney’s designs for the Erie Otters’ special jerseys and the importance of including Black voices and experts in hockey. Recently Ahmed attended the FIFA World Cup in Qatar; following her visit she wrote an article about how she had to come to terms with her own biases and presumptions about the women of Qatar and their interactions with sports. She asks herself “Had I been co-opted by western feminism? Something I vowed I wouldn't do? Did I assume that any woman who didn't make similar choices as me wasn't as free?” Ahmed’s ability to interrogate herself and her motivations is one of the traits that makes her such a fierce journalist.

When I arrived in Durham’s B building I was surprised to find I was one of only two students in attendance, we were joined by some faculty members and Ahmed’s husband. But despite the low turnout Ahmed was a thoroughly engaging speaker and went on to give a fascinating talk about her experiences in journalism and how young journalists can work towards anti-oppression in their work.

A conversation currently being had among journalists, in all levels of the industry, is that of objectivity and how it impacts our work. Ahmed says that objectivity was created by those with structural power (white, cishet, men) to gatekeep journalism from those without it. “Objectivity is weaponized against women,” Ahmed states. She spoke specifically about her position as a racialized woman in sports journalism and how when she began her career as a freelance journalist she focused on Muslim women's sports despite suggestions she was not an objective reporter on the issue. She says however, her job is not to be ‘objective’ but rather to “report fairly and accurately.” 

As well as being a full-time senior contributor at the CBC she also teaches sports journalism at Toronto Met. Ahmed spoke about some of the students she has worked with through TMU and some of the barriers young journalists face. Speaking about the old guard of journalism Ahmed spoke about how for some students their personal identity (race, gender, sexuality, religion etc) can hold them back from going out to find the resources they need. One student at TMU came to Ahmed to speak about investigative journalism, an area outside of Ahmed’s expertise, as they were a Queer student and felt more comfortable speaking with another marginalised person. It is not without reason young journalists are intimidated by the industry and those that control it. Ahmed spoke about another student who had been discouraged from creating a podcast and working in audio-journalism by a faculty member who claimed people don’t like hearing women’s voices. 

As the talk was looking at anti-oppressive journalism Ahmed spoke about both being the journalist and being the consumer of media. She stated she always made sure to have a balance of subscriptions, mass media, and independent journalism on her radar. As a consumer of news it is important to recognise the purposes and intents of the journalism being produced. For instance, sponsored content can impact the editorial direction of an article. Ahmed also spoke about the need for engagement and clicks leading to clickbait headlines and opening paragraphs. She cited an article about women’s football (soccer) in Afghanistan where the journalist made reference to Osama Bin Laden. The choice to draw attention towards Bin Laden and away from the achievements of female athletes speaks to the desire to gain attention rather than produce quality content. It is journalism like this that demonstrates the importance of diversifying your news sources. Ahmed suggests that to diversify your news sources you look at who your trusted journalists are engaging with and uplifting. 

Throughout her talk Ahmed provided a number of notes of wisdom for the budding journalists in the room. She reminded us all that “there is enough room for all of us,” and not to feel that our voices do not deserve the same space as others. Ahmed also spoke about the importance of mentorship, by reaching out to established journalists you can widen your network and find new opportunities. Specifically she said to befriend academics as they can provide context and history on topics you are writing about. Ahmed practises what she preaches in her podcast Burn It All Down which she co-hosts with other female sports journalists and two female academics specialising in sports history. Ahmed also emphasised her top tip to take all the pens you can get your hands on at conferences!