Najwa Shihab
{{Short description|Indonesian journalist (born 1977)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Najwa Shihab
|image = Najwa Shihab 2022 (cropped).jpg
|caption = Najwa Shihab in 2022
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|9|16|df=y}}
|birth_place = Ujung Pandang, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
|death_place =
|alma_mater = University of Indonesia (S.H.)
Melbourne Law School (LLM)
|occupation = Actress
Journalist
Presenter
|yearsactive = 1999–present
|spouse = {{marriage|Ibrahim Sjarief Assegaf|1997|2025-05-20|end=died}}
|children = 1
|parents = Quraish Shihab
Fatmawati Assegaf
| signature = Najwa Shihab (signature).svg
}}
Najwa Shihab (born 16 September 1977) is an Indonesian actress and journalist of mixed Bugis and Arabic descent. She is the second daughter of former Minister of Religious Affairs in the Cabinet of Development VII Quraish Shihab and a niece of former Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab.
Early life
Shihab attended Jakarta High School No. 7 until 1996. During her time there, she was selected to join the American Field Service program where she got to stay in the United States for a year. Upon leaving high school, she started her law degree at Faculty of Law in University of Indonesia.{{cite web|date=29 September 2007|title=Najwa Shihab: Diingatkan Anak Aceh|url=http://202.155.15.208/suplemen/cetak_detail.asp?mid=5&id=293508&kat_id=105&kat_id1=147&kat_id2=376|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929145832/http://202.155.15.208/suplemen/cetak_detail.asp?mid=5&id=293508&kat_id=105&kat_id1=147&kat_id2=376|archive-date=29 September 2007|access-date=30 November 2020}}
Career
She started her journalistic career at RCTI in 1999 before joining the then recently established Metro TV in 2000. In the immediate aftermath of the 2004 tsunami, Shihab was flown to Aceh to file stories. There she witnessed the destruction caused by the tsunami alongside the decomposing bodies found all over the streets. Her reports and the interview with government officials raised her profile.{{cite news|last=Syafar|first=Syaiful|title=KILAS BALIK Najwa Shihab saat Meliput Tsunami Aceh 15 Tahun Silam, Momen Paling Sulit Dilupakan|url=https://kaltim.tribunnews.com/2019/07/15/kilas-balik-najwa-shihab-saat-meliput-tsunami-aceh-15-tahun-silam-momen-paling-sulit-dilupakan|access-date=1 July 2024|date=15 July 2019|website=Tribun Kaltim|language=id}}{{cite web|last=Wahyuhidayati|first=Rina|title=JK Puji Najwa Shihab Kala Jadi Reporter Pertama yang Laporkan Berita Tsunami Aceh 2004: 'Yang Mengguncang Indonesia Bukan Saya, Anda' – Semua Halaman – Suar|url=https://suar.grid.id/read/201887774/jk-puji-najwa-shihab-kala-jadi-reporter-pertama-yang-laporkan-berita-tsunami-aceh-2004-yang-mengguncang-indonesia-bukan-saya-anda|date=17 October 2019|access-date=1 July 2024|website=suar.grid.id|language=id}} She also received an award from the Indonesian Journalists Association for her reports.{{cite web|date=22 March 2007|title=Najwa Shihab Peroleh PWI-Jaya Award – 02/02/2005, 22:10 WIB – KOMPAS Cyber Media – Hiburan|url=http://www.kompas.co.id/gayahidup/news/0502/02/221046.htm|access-date=30 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070322091754/http://www.kompas.co.id/gayahidup/news/0502/02/221046.htm|archive-date=22 March 2007}}
In 2008 Shihab received an Australian Leadership Awards scholarship to study media law at the University of Melbourne.{{cite web|title=Dapat Beasiswa Penuh, Najwa Shihab Ceritakan Pengalaman Kuliah di Australia – Semua Halaman – Grid.ID|url=https://www.grid.id/read/041732465/dapat-beasiswa-penuh-najwa-shihab-ceritakan-pengalaman-kuliah-di-australia|author=Lalu Hendri Bagus Setiawan|date=20 May 2019|access-date=1 June 2024|website=www.grid.id|language=id}}
After more than a decade at Metro TV, she quit the news channel in August 2017 and founded a news startup called Narasi TV in 2018.{{cite web|date=9 August 2017|title=Ini ternyata alasan Najwa Shihab keluar dari Metro TV|url=https://www.brilio.net/selebritis/ini-ternyata-alasan-najwa-shihab-keluar-dari-metro-tv-1708095.html|access-date=30 November 2020|website=brilio.net}}{{Cite web|last=Rahman|first=Adi Fida|title=Najwa Shihab Sempat Galau Saat Bikin Startup|url=https://inet.detik.com/cyberlife/d-3824683/najwa-shihab-sempat-galau-saat-bikin-startup|access-date=30 November 2020|website=detikinet|language=id}}
In 2022, Shihab portrayed Nani Wijaya, the first Sri Asih in Sri Asih, who was portrayed by Mimi Mariani in 1954.{{cite web|title=jagatverse/status/1596202799117012992|url=https://twitter.com/jagatverse/status/1596202799117012992?t=F4iWOZbAZ1edGyypAI9m9w&s=19|access-date=2023-02-15|website=Twitter}}
''Mata Najwa''
Shihab started hosting her own talkshow Mata Najwa on Metro TV on 25 November 2009. It aired every Wednesday at 8 pm WIB to 9.30 pm WIB. Some of her guests included former presidents Habibie and Megawati Soekarnoputri, former vice presidents Boediono and Jusuf Kalla as well as then Jakarta governor Joko Widodo. Her show ended on 23 August 2017 on Metro TV as she decided to quit the channel. She and Mata Najwa returned to television but on a different channel, Trans7, on 10 January 2018.{{Cite news|last=Sadikin|first=Rendy|title=Program Mata Najwa Kembali Tayang di TV Berbeda, Begini Penampilan Barunya!|date=27 December 2017|url=https://www.tribunnews.com/seleb/2017/12/27/program-mata-najwa-kembali-tayang-di-tv-berbeda-begini-penampilan-barunya|access-date=1 July 2024|website=Tribunnews.com|language=id}}
=Terawan interview=
In October 2020, Shihab was reported to the police by United Jokowi Volunteers chairperson Silvia Devi Soembarto for her stunt interviewing an empty guest chair where Minister of Health Terawan Agus Putranto was supposed to fill on 28 September 2020 edition of Mata Najwa. Through her Instagram account, Shihab stated that her interview was intentional so that public officials, especially Terawan who has been missing in action, would explain their policies in handling the COVID-19 pandemic and that the explanation does not necessarily have to be made on her show.{{cite web|title=Jawaban Najwa Shihab soal Wawancara Kursi Kosong Menkes Terawan|url=https://tirto.id/jawaban-najwa-shihab-soal-wawancara-kursi-kosong-menkes-terawan-f5Eo|last=Haryanto|first=Alexander|date=6 October 2020|access-date=1 July 2024|website=tirto.id|language=id}}
The empty chair interview was a first in Indonesia and Shihab deemed her action as still a form of journalism as it has been done by journalists in the United Kingdom and the United States as well.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
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Category:Indonesian television presenters
Category:Indonesian women television presenters
Category:University of Indonesia alumni
Category:Indonesian people of Egyptian descent
Category:Indonesian people of Saudi Arabian descent
Category:Indonesian people of Yemeni descent
Category:Melbourne Law School alumni
Category:20th-century Indonesian women journalists
Category:20th-century Indonesian journalists