Fairfax Station, Virginia, United States
I am currently open to reporting, editorial leadership, and strategic communications roles where strong journalism and disciplined media engagement matter.
Voice of America Congressional Correspondent | Multimedia Producer (TV, Digital, Web) Contract Washington, DC area March 2017 to May 2025 I reported from Capitol Hill for Voice of America’s Urdu Service, covering Congress, U.S. elections, and major political developments for TV, digital, and web platforms. The work included on-camera interviews with Members of Congress, senior officials, and political figures, as well as live, on-location reporting during election coverage. Earlier in my tenure, I was assigned the health beat, reporting from the field on public health issues and serving as the producer and on-air host of a recurring health segment, Life360. In that role, I developed story ideas, shaped the editorial focus, and produced and presented health coverage within the program. I was later assigned the congressional beat, covering Capitol Hill and national political developments. Alongside Washington-based reporting, I traveled across multiple states during election cycles, producing a series of reports from the field covering voter concerns, candidates and local issues. These assignments involved sustained field reporting and direct engagement with communities, connecting local perspectives to national political debates. I produced stories end to end, from field reporting and scripting to on-air delivery, coordinating with graphic artists on visuals and editing final pieces for broadcast and digital platforms. I also coordinated travel reporting assignments and worked with freelance crews when coverage expanded beyond Washington. My reporting focused on clarity, context, and credibility, whether covering politics, public health, or broader social and cultural issues for international audiences.
I advised family-owned businesses, nonprofits, and cultural organizations on communications strategy, public engagement, and media outreach, working directly with leadership to shape messaging across digital, broadcast, and print platforms. For an early-education public program facing closure, I led communications and media strategy in a highly contentious environment. I brought together school administrators, clergy, parents, and community leaders who were initially in opposition, developed a unified messaging framework, and organized a public town hall that drew a standing-room-only audience. I handled press outreach and story placement around the event, helping elevate the issue publicly and contributing to the program’s reinstatement at two public schools. My broader work included developing communication plans, advising on visual identity and narrative direction, and producing videos, training modules, and digital content. I managed in-house staff and external creative contractors, overseeing projects from concept through execution. I also advised health and technology clients such as Alpha-EHR and VibeVoIP on communications strategy and outreach. In the cultural sector, I volunteered as a patron with the Discovery Museum, pitching and scripting a proposed fundraising documentary and contributing ideas to support legacy donor campaigns.
I was part of the launch team for Beyond the Headlines, Voice of America’s first Urdu-language television program. As a co-producer of the pilot, I helped shape the format and editorial direction of the show, which later became VOA’s first regular Urdu TV programming. In this role, I reported and produced stories on U.S. politics, cultural diplomacy, and social issues, with a focus on South Asia and Muslim audiences. I conducted live and recorded interviews, developed story ideas, and contributed to editorial planning as the program moved from pilot to broadcast. My work also included reporting on art, culture, and cross-cultural issues, and contributing to coverage of congressional briefings and policy discussions from Washington. I collaborated closely with editors, producers, and technical teams to build a new television product from the ground up.
Worked with the newsroom initially as a student reporter and later continued after graduation in a reporting and web publishing role. Selected and published newsroom-produced stories for the station’s website, wrote headlines, edited copy, and posted content online. Also reported original stories for broadcast and web, and wrote and delivered copy on air for weekend newscasts.
Supported daily local newscasts through script writing, editorial support, and broadcast production. Wrote stories used on air and prepared daily stock market figures for inclusion in the newscast, working closely with reporters and editors to support regular coverage.