Journalism graduate lands role at the BBC
Multimedia Journalism graduate, Qalib Barud, will play an important role in the launch of the BBC’s brand new Somali TV service.
Within weeks of completing his Masters in Multimedia Journalism, Qalib has secured a job at BBC World Service where he will be a Multimedia Broadcast Journalist and part of the launch team for the BBC’s brand new Somali TV service.
The new service will go on air in 2017 - 70 years since the BBC first started broadcasting in Somali on the radio.
As a young boy growing up in Somalia, Qalib remembers listening to the BBC Radio Somali Service inspiring his love for the language, its poetry and music. When his family moved to Manchester, the BBC Somali Service provided him with a link to his home country.
Qalib said: “I wanted to make a positive contribution to the reconstruction of my home country and I thought the best way to achieve this was through fair, impartial and objective journalism.”
Journey
Qalib saw an advert for the University’s Al-Habeeb Journalism Scholarship in the very first issue of SASCA News - a bilingual newspaper produced by Manchester’s Somali community and Manchester Metropolitan University’s journalism department - and went on to win the scholarship. He said: “Without the award, I faced the prospect of having to change to part-time study.”
Dave Porter, Lecturer and founder of SASCA News said: “Qalib is a brilliant ambassador for the Somali community and it’s heartening to think SASCA News played some part in his success.”
Earlier this year, the journalism student was accepted onto a prestigious training scheme at BBC World Service for bilingual reporters, competing against 500 applicants from around the UK to win the spot. The high point of the four-week internship at New Broadcasting House in London was broadcasting live on the BBC Somali Radio Service to audiences in the Horn of Africa and across the diaspora.
Having impressed the editors at BBC World Service during his internship, Qalib was encouraged to apply for a post in the soon-to-be-launched TV Service for Somalia and after a rigorous selection process, beat a number of candidates to secure the full-time post as Multimedia Broadcast Journalist.
MA Multimedia Journalism Programme Leader Mandy Leader added: “We in the journalism team are absolutely delighted for Qalib. HIs success - particularly considering he had no journalism experience at all until beginning our one year Masters - is a great example of what can be achieved and is a credit to both Qalib’s enthusiasm and hard work, and also to the teaching and dedication of our expert staff. I am sure he has a terrific future ahead.”
