A software engineer turned journalist Maria Memon is currently working as an anchor for ARY News. She started her journalism career as a junior reporter from the Karachi Bureau and was promoted as the main stream news anchor in a very brief span of time.

Maria has worked as a coordinator for Najam Sethi's show on Geo, after the show was cancelled, she worked as field reporter for Geo. Maria later worked at Geo News as an anchor and has hosted the Meray Mutabiq show with Hassan Nisar and Sohail Warraich. After seven years of association with Geo, Maria Memon too joined the much hyped newly launched channel Bol TV in 2015, and then she too left before the channel went on air.

The pretty and gritty journalist, Maria Memon’s parents always wanted her to either become a doctor or an engineer, since these are the two most respected and profitable careers in Pakistan. Becoming a doctor was what was planted in her head and she also considered it a good choice since it’s a career choice for females in Pakistan.

Despite being an A grade student, Maria Memon never got through the test to medical school, and landed into an engineering college. In 2005, she graduated as a Software Engineer and it was during that period, she got inspired from her communication skills professor, who encouraged her to polish her public speaking skills. After graduation, she worked as an HR consultant and later joined Geo TV, network in 2008.

Maria Memon is truly a ‘Destiny’s child’ as she didn’t choose journalism, in fact, journalism chose her. Software Engineer to HR consultant and eventually a Journalist, the transition was gradual but unplanned.

Originally she joined Geo TV as a programme coordinator, but the project got shelved and her management shifted her to the news room and thus Maria began her journey as an anchor/reporter. She always knew that she wanted to make a difference, and her employers provided her the perfect platform to reach out to millions of people and raise awareness about the burning issues of our society.

One of the high points of her life were being selected as a CNN Journalism fellow in 2011. She was handpicked by GEO TV to represent them in Atlanta, Georgia in 2011. Her area of interest included social and human interest issues. She can proudly say that through her stories, funds have been raised for poor unwell kids, schools and for flood relief activities.

In her journalistic career she has had hands on field reporting on sports as well as reporting on bomb blasts and humanitarian issues. She covered the Swat operation in 2009. Her trip to KPK took her to the IDP camps in Mardan, whereas in 2010, she covered post flood humanitarian crisis in Swat as well. She has conducted live infield bulletins from Data Darbar and Model Town sites, which were bombed by the terrorists in 2010.

Apart from that, Maria Memon used to co-host a two-hour long weekend morning show known as ‘Geo Pakistan’ every Saturday and Sunday. The show not only covered socio-political issues, but went on to successfully complete over 100 episodes.

According to Maria Lack of education is the root of all problems in Pakistan. If given the power to bring about a change, she would immediately declare an education emergency. Also she would devise an educational policy that would focus more on the small towns and rural areas, since people don’t have a direction in the rural areas.

The prime objective should be to bring the children from the rural areas and small towns at par with the kids in big cities. Also curriculum being taught in our schools is in dire need of an upgrade, and if she could get a chance to bring a change, she would be honoured to do so.

Maria Memon is proactive on social media. She spends a considerable time of her day on Facebook and Twitter. She says Pakistan is a young country and youth in urban areas is quite active on the social media platforms. Social Media is not just a medium of casual chit chat with friends but serious businesses are being run through Facebook (FB).

When Pakistan faced its worst humanitarian crisis and post flood relief activities all were organized mainly through the social media. Campaigns like ‘Go Green Pakistan’ and ‘Zimmedar Shehri’, laced with the message of social activism were founded on FB. Pakistani women are also reaping the benefits of Social media while young women entrepreneurs are running their businesses through FB.

Maria Memon’s work is all about getting the word out, raising awareness about issues. She believes Twitter and Facebook are like the eyes and ears as well as the mouthpiece for most of the journalists today. She admits that she is a borderline twitterholic. She starts her day with Twitter as a one-stop shop for all the news and current affairs.

Maria Memon says with the overflow of information because of the web and social media, at times it is challenging to sift grain from the chaff. Social media plays an instrumental role in information gathering, but the trick is to verify your information from multiple sources before you publish anything.

Maria Memon has lent her voice to an upcoming animated feature film Tick Tock.

External link: http://videos.arynews.tv/tag/maria-memon/

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