Fatima Manji
{{Short description|English television journalist and newsreader}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2025}}
Fatima Manji (born 28 November 1985) is a British television journalist and newsreader, working for Channel 4 News. Manji became Britain's first hijab-wearing TV newsreader in March 2016.{{cite news|last1=Hjelmgaard|first1=Kim|title=This broadcaster wore a hijab while reporting Nice attack|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/07/18/hijab-wearing-tv-presenter-attacked-nice-coverage/87241136/|accessdate=24 July 2016|work=USA Today|date=18 July 2016}}
Early life
Manji was born in Peterborough in 1985.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/dec/18/fatima-manji-its-important-that-newsrooms-reflect-population-channel-4-newsreader-interview|title=Fatima Manji: 'It's really important that newsrooms reflect the population'|first=Interview by Tim|last=Lewis|date=18 December 2016|newspaper=The Guardian}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rootsuk.com/births/results.php?fn=Fatima&sn=Manji&yr=1984&yr_to=2005&st=s&Submit=Search|title=Birth records index – Results|website=rootsuk.com|access-date=14 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814104823/https://www.rootsuk.com/births/results.php?fn=Fatima&sn=Manji&yr=1984&yr_to=2005&st=s&Submit=Search|archive-date=14 August 2017|url-status=dead}} She lived in Netherton, Peterborough{{cite web|url=http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/environment/procession-muslims-march-in-tribute-to-martyr-1-154747|title=Procession: Muslims march in tribute to martyr|website=peterboroughtoday.co.uk}} and was educated at Jack Hunt School.{{cite news|title=Peterborough's Channel 4 newsreader complains to press regulator about Kelvin MacKenzie column in The Sun|url=http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/peterborough-s-channel-4-newsreader-complains-to-press-regulator-about-kelvin-mackenzie-column-in-the-sun-1-7490404|accessdate=24 July 2016|work=Peterborough Evening Telegraph|date=22 August 2004}} She was active at the city's Burton Street Mosque{{cite web|url=http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/environment/religion-holy-day-is-celebrated-1-61369|title=Religion: Holy day is celebrated|website=peterboroughtoday.co.uk}} and later studied Politics at the London School of Economics.{{cite news|title=In Focus: Celebration time for those who made the grade|url=http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/environment/in-focus-celebration-time-for-those-who-made-the-grade-1-150637|accessdate=24 July 2016|work=Peterborough Evening Telegraph|date=20 August 2004}}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} She "made a really informed career decision at the age of eight. I wanted to be where history is made, I wanted to be in the centre of things", she told The Guardian in December 2016 about wanting to become a journalist. "No one told me I'd be standing in a muddy field talking about floods, in waders. Maybe if they had, I'd have rethought".{{cite news|last=Lewis|first=Tim|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/dec/18/fatima-manji-its-important-that-newsrooms-reflect-population-channel-4-newsreader-interview|title=Fatima Manji: 'It's really important that newsrooms reflect the population'|work=The Observer|date=18 December 2016|accessdate=19 December 2016}}
Life and career
She began her career in journalism as a trainee at the BBC, reporting for BBC Radio Cambridgeshire and later becoming a reporter and presenter for BBC Look East. During her period with the BBC, she investigated hate crime against migrants and pressure on housing services.{{Cite web|url=http://www.icare.to/article.php?id=27981&lang=en|title=I Care – Migrant Workers In Peterborough: Hate Crime And Housing (uk) – News – Internet Centre Anti Racism Europe|last=Foundation|first=Magenta|website=icare.to|access-date=2017-08-15}} She also reported for the BBC World Service from Sarajevo, Bosnia.{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00j0kyx|title=Bosnia-Herzegovina and Tanzania, From Our Own Correspondent – BBC World Service|publisher=BBC|access-date=2017-08-15}} In 2012, Manji joined Channel 4 News as a Reporter and became a newsreader in March 2016. "Channel 4 News is to be commended for pioneering this move, particularly as a mere 0.4% of British journalists are Muslim", wrote Remona Aly, citing a study by City University London, in an article for The Guardian about Manji wearing a hijab, or headscarf.{{cite news|last=Aly|first=Remona|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/20/fatima-manji-kelvin-mackenzie-toxic-propaganda-sun-anti-muslim|title=Kelvin MacKenzie, we're sick of your toxic propaganda. Fatima Manji is admirable|work=The Guardian|date=20 July 2016|accessdate=9 August 2016}} In 2015, Manji presented Britain's first ever alternative election debate featuring young leaders on Channel 4.
In 2015, Manji was a finalist for the Royal Television Society's Young Journalist of the Year award.{{cite news|title=Royal Television Society TV journalism awards: full list of winners|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/feb/19/royal-television-society-tv-journalism-awards-full-list-of-winners|accessdate=24 July 2016|work=The Guardian|date=19 February 2015}} Manji was also finalist in the Broadcast category of the Words by Women Awards for female journalists.{{cite news|last1=Ponsford|first1=Dominic|title=Full list of winners and finalists for the Words by Women journalism awards|url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/full-list-of-winners-and-finalists-for-the-words-by-women-journalism-awards/|work=Press Gazette|date=22 March 2016}} She was named "Media Personality of the Year" at the Asian Media Awards in 2016.
=Kelvin MacKenzie column=
In July 2016, Kelvin MacKenzie wrote a column for The Sun in which he questioned whether it was appropriate for Manji to present the news wearing a hijab following the 2016 Nice truck attack.{{cite news|last1=Sweney|first1=Mark|title=Sun deletes tweet criticising Channel 4 News coverage of Nice truck attack|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jul/18/sun-tweet-channel-4-news-nice-truck-attack-kelvin-mackenzie-fatima-manji|accessdate=24 July 2016|work=The Guardian|date=18 July 2016}} Manji responded to MacKenzie in a comment piece for the Liverpool Echo{{cite news|last1=Manji|first1=Fatima|title=Fatima Manji: The Truth – why Kelvin MacKenzie's smears won't stop me from doing my job|url=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/fatima-manji-truth-kelvin-mackenzies-11635404|accessdate=24 July 2016|work=Liverpool Echo|date=19 July 2016}} in which she referred to The Sun{{'s}} coverage of the Hillsborough disaster, and the contentious and inaccurate front page put together by MacKenzie.
Ofcom received 17 complaints about Manji's appearance in a hijab on Channel 4 News shortly after the Nice attack but found there was no basis in the Broadcasting Code leading them to investigate further.{{cite news|last=Sweney|first=Mark|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/aug/22/complaints-channel-4-news-hijab-the-sun-kelvin-mackenzie-fatima-manji|title=Complaints about Channel 4 News presenter wearing hijab rejected|work=The Guardian|date=22 August 2016|accessdate=22 August 2016}} The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) received more than 1,700 complaints over MacKenzie's article. Kelvin MacKenzie was "entitled", IPSO ruled on 19 October 2016, to criticise Manji: "The article did not include a prejudicial or pejorative reference to the complainant on the grounds of her religion".{{cite news|last=Saul|first=Heather|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/kelvin-mackenzie-fatima-manji-hijab-cleared-ipso-a7369736.html#gallery|title=Kelvin MacKenzie cleared by press watchdog over attack on Fatima Manji wearing a hijab during Channel 4 report|work=The Independent|date=19 October 2016|accessdate=19 October 2016}} Manji responded to the ruling on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme objecting to the implied suggestion "that I am somehow sympathetic to a perpetrator of a terrorist attack" and commenting "effectively it is" now "open season on minorities, and Muslims in particular".{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37713538|title=Kelvin MacKenzie Ipso ruling 'frightening', says Fatima Manji|work=BBC News|date=20 October 2016}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.channel4.com/news/fatima-manji Fatima Manji] at Channel 4
- {{IMDb name|id=6393352|name=Fatima Manji}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manji, Fatima}}
Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics
Category:ITN newsreaders and journalists
Category:English people of Pakistani descent