Experience:
March 2018 – present
- Online producer, journalist for Al Jazeera English digital
May 2013- March 2018
- Freelance journalist writing articles, columns and filming videos for Al Jazeera English, Al Jazeera America, Al Jazeera Balkans, AJ+, Canadian Dimension, CBC, Deutsche Welle, Middle East Eye, Mondoweiss. Reporting from Canada, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Turkey and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Nov 2013- April 2014
- Multimedia Reporter for the Devon Dispatch in Devon, Alberta (articles also published in the Leduc Representative and La Nouvelle Beaumont News)
Tasks: writing 8-10 articles per week on local politics such as a feature with former environment minister Diana McQueen on environmental monitoring agencies, current affairs, opinion pieces, arts and sports occurring in Devon, Leduc County and Parkland County; photographing, editing photos on Adobe Photoshop; laying out pages on Adobe InDesign; uploading articles to website; connecting with public and providing live updates through Facebook and Twitter
Nov 2012-April 2012
- Researcher for “Lady Cadets of Pakistan“, a Canadian documentary on female combatants in Pakistan’s military
Oct 2012- April 2013
- Editorial Assistant at CBC News Network, Toronto
Tasks: monitoring news lineup and scripts for live show, rolling teleprompter for news anchors for live broadcasts, searching and editing visuals to be used as clips and b-rolls for news stories, chasing guests to be interviewed live on show, pre-interviewing, forming questions and providing interview information for news anchor
Sept- Dec 2011
- Reporter for Toronto Observer TV News
Tasks: writing scripts and presenting news stories for live TV show (news, entertainment and commentary), filming and reporting news stories (some of my TV stories include U of T’s Lip Dub event, Occupy Toronto and Toronto’s Spontaneous Prose Store), editing footage on Final Cut Pro
Jan- Dec 2011
- Reporter for Toronto Observer newspaper
Tasks: pitching story ideas, editing copy, interviewing (city officials, politicians, humanitarians, artists, victims of assault, etc.), writing articles (400-750 words for sections such as News, Arts & Life, Sports and Commentary), laying out page designs on Adobe InDesign, photographing and editing photos on Adobe Photoshop
Jan- May 2011
- Reporter for Toronto Observer Radio News
Tasks: creating radio news stories and editing on Adobe Audition; writing scripts; summarizing news, entertainment and sports stories for live radio show; covering events such as the mayoral elections and interviewing Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion
February 2010
· CTV Live Event Monitor for 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver
Tasks: Providing online content for CTV’s website- adding ad insertions and live commentaries during broadcasting of games, editing and subclipping video clips, translating from English to French
Skills and Awards Summary
- Fluent in English, French and Bosnian
- Computer/Design Skills: Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Audition, Final Cut Pro, iNews, DTV, VizRT, Garage Band
- Participant in Fraser Institute’s Economics for Journalists conference 2014 in Vancouver, Canada
- First place winner in Centennial College’s Photography Competition 2011
- Recipient of Women in Leadership Scholarship 2009
- Recipient of University of Toronto Entrance Scholarship 2008
Education
2008- 2012 University of Toronto: BA Honours specialization in journalism and major in French
Jan-June 2012 Université Jean Moulin in Lyon, France
Summer 2011 Université Laval, Québec, Québec
Summer 2010 Université du Québec à Trois Rivières, Québec
Online
Mersiha Gadzo 