2021 Fellow Nabihah has been named one of the MHP Mischief 30 to Watch and has received a  Young Journalist award in their Best Social Media or Content Activation category. The award came just after she was quoted in the Press Gazette alongside industry leaders including the BBC digital director. 

The Press Gazette piece, published on 15 May, discussed the rising use of social media in journalism following a panel on the topic at the recent Society of Editor’s conference in London. Appearing on the panel in her role as Vice World News video producer, Nabihah described how the outlet’s new TikTok channel went from 100,000 to one million+ followers in just three weeks. She said authenticity was the key to its success: “When I think of a video that I’m about to present, I’m thinking what am I going to look like, what am I going to sound like, what footage is going in there, and it has to look natural for that platform… I’m not thinking with a news brain, I’m thinking with a creator brain.”

Nabihah has been working hard to experiment with different formats and creative storytelling: for example, her popular video explainer on Russia’s opposition to NATO was filmed in her kitchen using mugs as props.

On 16 May, Nabihah was named the winner of the MHP Mischief Best Social Media award. She was commended by judges for her ability to tailor news formats and language to the platform she was reporting from. She was also praised for her overarching mission to prove that as a Muslim woman she can relate to a wider audience and close the gap between media and the public.

Nabihah said, “It’s an incredible honour to be listed in the MHP Mischief #30ToWatch winning the category for Best Social Media young journalist, as I’ve spent the last few years dedicating my reporting to digital-first journalism.

In the last few months, one of my TikTok explainers for Vice World News on why Russia hates NATO has had over 15 million views and an Instagram carousel explainer I created for HuffPost UK on the Stop Cambo campaign was shared by Emma Watson to her 60+ million followers.

It’s amazing to receive the award after many conversations in newsrooms encouraging editors to appreciate and invest in journalism on social media platforms.”

See the full list of 30 to Watch winners here.