Joyce Lee BSJ10
December 18, 2009
By Amber Gibson (BSJ13)
Dune bashing, shopping at Souq Waqif and visiting the Museum of Islamic Art are a few of Joyce Lee's favorite pastimes in Doha. Lee (BSJ10) is the first Medill student to complete a journalism residency (JR) in Qatar. As a freshman, she had set her sights on a residency at Conde Nast Traveler. Back then, she underestimated just how far her travels would take her.
As a representative of Medill’s magazine journalism track, Lee was one of the lucky Northwestern students who attended the inauguration of the university’s Doha campus in March 2009. During the trip, the Senior Associate Dean Richard Roth mentioned the possibility of creating a JR residency site in Doha, and Lee immediately knew that was something she wanted to pursue.
“We were on a dhow [boat] tour in the late afternoon, and it was pretty lively because there was henna going on in one corner and photos being snapped at every opportunity,” Lee recalls. “Roth came over… and said, 'You know, we should get you over here to do your residency.’ ''
Back in Evanston, the JR coordinators were initially skeptical of Lee's plans. Fortunately, with the help of Roth and Michele Bitoun, senior director of undergraduate education, Lee was able to secure an internship with Qatar's largest magazine publishing house, Oryx Advertising Company, WLL.
Lee admits that she knew next to nothing about her JR site before she arrived in Doha, but that over the course of her internship, she has had the opportunity to write for each of Oryx's publications.
Because the magazines have rolling deadlines, Lee was able to juggle business news assignments for Qatar Today, women's stories for Woman Today and student life features for Campus Magazine. Lee relished the opportunity to immerse herself in multiple publications.
"I can honestly think of no better way to get to know Doha than explore all these different sectors,” she says.
Though Arabic is the official language of Qatar, English is the language spoken around the office. Press conferences are held in Arabic or English. And because most people speak proficient English, Lee had to rely on a translator only once while conducting an interview.
Working at a diverse environment like Oryx means that Lee has colleagues who hail from Sri Lanka, India, Egypt, and the Philippines. Lee, a Canadian, was the only one from the Western Hemisphere.
Her most memorable assignment was an emotionally rousing story concerning children with disabilities in Qatari schools. This was an especially challenging piece because "Qataris are extremely private, and disabilities are still seen by some as taboo."
However, she was able to find a local doctor and a Qatari woman, who allowed Lee to interview and photograph her son for the story. Speaking with the mother and son was "such a consuming experience, and in that way, all the more thrilling."
Lee's post-graduation plans are still undetermined, but she has not discounted returning to Qatar. Her ambitions include starting an independent magazine or business or working abroad in Asia or Europe.
As for future JR opportunities in Qatar, there is the possibility that the program will expand. Student Elizabeth Weingarten will take Lee’s place during the winter quarter.
“There's definitely opportunity to write meaningful stories, both in print and broadcast," Lee says.
She advises future Doha JR students to come with an open mind and leave behind presumptions of the Middle East because every day will bring a surprise. Hopefully in the future, students at NU-Q will also have the opportunity to come to the U.S. for their JRs. And stronger connections between the two campuses will help develop an even more vibrant learning environment at Northwestern, here and abroad.