Personal Journey

• Early Influences and Education: Tazbia was drawn to journalism from a young age, influenced by growing up in a household that subscribed to multiple newspapers. She studied Computer Science for her undergraduate degree in India and later pursued a Master’s in Journalism at Columbia University, where she discovered the intersection of technology and journalism.

• Role of Islamic Faith in Career Choices: Her faith deeply influences her ethical decision-making, guiding her to prioritize kindness, avoid harm, and ensure her work benefits the community. She emphasizes the importance of having diverse voices, including Muslims, in newsrooms to shape narratives ethically.

• Challenges Faced as a Muslim Professional: While she notes that the journalism industry is generally inclusive, she faced initial networking hurdles as an international student with a non-American accent. Visa sponsorship was also a significant challenge due to the industry’s limited funding.

• Key Turning Points and Decisions: Key moments include: 1) Realizing during her Master’s program that she was in the right industry; 2) The importance of her thesis project on Indian migration, which combined personal passion with professional work; and 3) Securing her first internship under a supportive mentor who recognized her unique skill set in AI and journalism.

Industry Deep Dive

• Current Role and Responsibilities: Tazbia uses generative AI and traditional machine learning to support journalists across Hearst Newspapers’ markets. Her work includes building tools for news discovery (e.g., real-time alert systems for reporters), service journalism (e.g., a tool to help Texans protest property taxes), and investigative reporting support (e.g., analyzing thousands of PDFs).

• Corporate Ethics Discussion: She highlights the ethical responsibility of journalists and newsrooms to avoid biased narratives, especially in international reporting. She stresses the importance of fact-checking, editorial oversight, and distinguishing between opinion journalism and factual reporting.

• Specific Cases of Corporate Misconduct in Their Field: While not naming specific corporations, she critiques newsrooms that prioritize narratives aligned with funders over journalistic integrity, leading to a loss of public trust. She also mentions the problematic coverage of conflicts like Gaza by major outlets.

• How Muslim Professionals Can Navigate Ethical Dilemmas: She advises grounding decisions in Islamic values—ensuring work does not harm others, promoting good, and advocating for inclusive and accurate reporting. She also encourages speaking up internally and supporting ethical newsrooms.

Resources and Advice Segment

• Essential Resources for Aspiring Professionals: Attend journalism conferences (e.g., IRE, NICAR), engage with university newspaper programs, follow civil tech organizations (e.g., Bellingcat, Lighthouse Reports), and explore data visualization teams at local newsrooms.

• Mentorship Opportunities: Tazbia is open to mentoring and can be contacted via LinkedIn.

• Organizations Supporting Muslim Professionals: While not named explicitly, she encourages connecting with diverse professionals within journalism networks and attending industry events to build supportive relationships.

• Practical Advice for Industry Newcomers: Build a portfolio through university newspapers or local newsroom assignments. For tech professionals, develop AI prototyping skills; for strategists, network actively and explore grant opportunities (e.g., Knight Foundation, Brown Institute Magic Grants).

Accountability Focus

• Discussion of Specific Corporations with Problematic Records: She critiques major outlets like The New York Times for biased war coverage and headlines that lack editorial rigor, though she does not name other specific corporations.

• Analysis of Human Rights Violations or War Crimes Connections: References the use of open-source investigative techniques (OSINT) to document events in Gaza and Ukraine, highlighting the importance of geolocation and satellite imagery to verify incidents.

• Ways to Advocate for Corporate Accountability: Encourage internal criticism, sign letters to editors and management, and refuse job offers from organizations whose values are misaligned. Support independent and local newsrooms that prioritize ethical reporting.

• Alternative Ethical Options Within the Industry: Work for local newsrooms, civic tech organizations, or nonprofits focused on investigative reporting and public service journalism.

Closing Reflections

• Final Advice from Guest: Tazbia encourages listeners to engage with factual journalism, improve media literacy, and support newsrooms that prioritize ethics. She also inspires young professionals, especially from South Asia, to dream big and consider how their careers can contribute to society.

• Contact Information to Reach Guest Speaker: Reach out via LinkedIn.

• Call to Action for Listeners: Explore data journalism and visualization platforms (e.g., pudding.com), follow investigative reporting teams, and critically evaluate news sources by distinguishing between opinion and fact-based reporting.