Bio:Moign is a Kuwait-born journalist, writer and entrepreneur. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the University of Lincoln and a Master’s degree in International Relations. Moign’s previous work includes working for the BBC Radio Network Lincolnshire as a broadcast assistant. He is a commentator and reporter and has written extensively on current affairs, politics, world conflicts, women’s rights and society. In his current position at Arabian Gazette, an online magazine that provides news and analysis on business, economy, finance, society, technology and environment, Moign provides in-depth features, photo essays, articles, analysis and commentaries. His work can also be seen on Express Tribune, Foreign Policy Journal, Demockracy.org, Pulse Media, Bridges TV, Archetype in Action, Crisis Balochistan, and many other websites. Check out his portfolio on his personal website https://outernationalist.net.
Questions:
1. How do you like living and working in your country of employment?
It’s been over a year since I moved to the UAE from the UK. Compared to the UK, the UAE is a relatively new market. Unlike other international cities where a talented and multi-faceted workforce has been gearing up the economy for decades, Dubai and the other Emirates are still in the process of laying the key foundations of innovation, work ethics and professionalism. It is really heartening to see the spirit of entrepreneurship flourish here in Dubai and to see how people from all over the world come here to work hard, improve their standard of living and contribute towards the betterment of the society.
2. What is your average day at work like?
Being the editor of Arabian Gazette, my routine varies a lot. I might have an early morning start if invited to attend an event, interview a personality or visit a place. Sometimes I have late nights at work, completing pending tasks and preparing for the next day. The average day at work involves a lot of news gathering, editing, finding the right photographs to go with news articles and features, publishing pieces and being active on all social media networks. A lot of time is spent on researching and sifting through volumes of information and multimedia content. I also love interacting with our audience and evaluating their feedback.
3. What is your biggest professional challenge?
To establish our brand, expand it gradually and maintain objectivity, high editorial standards and professionalism.
4. What is the most important thing you look for in new hires?
We've reached a stage where we have to take it to the next level and obviously we will need to hire talented professionals in order to scale greater heights. When we hire, the qualities that we would look for in our prospective employees would be:
a. Passion for what they do and like.
b. High level of flexibility, as it is necessary for a start-up organization.
c. The right aptitude to critically analyze complex issues.
d. The right attitude as we operate in a rather flat hierarchy and encourage everyone to respect each other.
5. What is the biggest challenge you face in hiring talent?
Like most of the companies, finding the right talent is always challenging.
6. As a commentator, how do you think social media has impacted the current HR/ hiring/recruitment climate?
I think social media has had a massive impact on human resources as recruiters now have access to a lot more information about the candidates than before. There are now a lot more ways than before to get in touch with the potential employee and interact with him/her.
7. In your opinion what is the industry climate like for those wishing to pursue a career in your industry?
Journalism is more about passion and background knowledge. The current climate of journalism is pretty challenging. Industry leaders are facing a lot of competition and new entrants are finding it hard to adjust in what is already a saturated market. Those starting off in this career will find it hard as companies are cutting down staff due to falling revenues caused by the global economic crisis. Keeping in mind the current situation, my sincere advice to fresh graduates would be to get started by doing what they’re really good at. They must not wait for the opportunity to knock on their door. Instead, they must create one. Despite all the hardships and challenges they must believe in themselves and not get disheartened. They can team up with likeminded people and be vocal about their ideas. I believe those journalists need to be honest, sincere, bold and courageous. This profession is not for the shy and faint hearted!
8. What is the favorite part of your role?
The favourite part of my job is meeting talented people, discussing ideas with them, thinking of ways to work together and contribute towards a better society.
9. What do you read to keep abreast of industry developments?
I spend most of my time reading articles/features written by experienced journalists and interacting with them, along with my followers/audience, as this helps me get more creative and find out how I can improve and innovate. I also follow the news and watch documentaries as it helps me know the story from all angles and improve upon my story-telling skills.
10. If you could wave your magic stick and make a significant development in one specific area of journalistic practices worldwide, where would that fall?
I’d like to bring objectivity and impartiality to the world of journalism and this is precisely the reason why I became a journalist. I think people are getting disillusioned by propaganda, censorship and misleading news broadcasted by media outlets that run under a specific agenda. I think the media should be held accountable and made answerable to the audience and not to corporate backers and state sponsors.
11. Anything else you’d like to share with the community of Bayt.com Employers?
I think employers at Bayt.com, especially media companies, should try to engage more with the job seekers and not take them for granted. I’d also like to urge employers to provide young job seekers a chance to get started and trust in their abilities. There is abundant talent in the region which is still untapped and that is creating a lot of frustration and unrest in the region. I believe it is also the responsibility of the media to educate the youth and give them hope in a world which is changing drastically. It is high time for media employers to become part of the solution and embrace change, reforms and new technologies.
