Majd Yousef is an Online Editor at BBC World Services and a YouTube Editor at BBC Arabic. Majd specializes in online videos in general, and news in particular. At BBC, Majd is responsible for creating publishing strategies for news and programs, pulling analytics and feedback, and keeping an eye on what is trending in the Arab region. Having worked previously in the same position at Al Jazeera English in Doha, her passion for digital media and online publishing goes back to her days at Kharabeesh, an online entertainment network where she worked as a Publishing Manager for over 2 years.
I have recently moved to London and am still suffering from jet lag. So at 6:30 I am usually up, though my alarm doesn't go off until 7:00. The first thing I do before getting out of bed is checking my twitter account to make sure the world hasn’t exploded while I was asleep. Then I make myself 2 mugs of coffee that I drink while getting ready for work. Between my hair and makeup and the need to wear layers and layers of clothes for the cold Londoner winter, it can take me up to 2 hours to get ready. I prepare a bowl of granola and milk and take it with me to the office.
I was lucky enough to find a flat close to our offices in Central London. Commuting in London is crazy; people are always running and rush hours are not pleasant, so walking to work is certainly a piece of good fortune when compared to other commutes. My foot commute usually takes around 20 to 25 minutes.
Social media isn’t our only source of news; we get news from various agencies and from our own correspondents, and my first hour at work is spent catching up on news and defining the day’s key stories. Then I login to my world: YouTube. I am responsible for everything BBC Arabic publishes on its YouTube channel; I set the online strategy for our different programs and make editorial decisions of what to publish, based on our ongoing analysis of the audience’s behavior. One of the most important parts of my job is to pinpoint the videos that got the most views in the last 24 hours; the reasons why they were trending, and their type. Then I see how I can build on that knowledge. Another huge aspect in my job is to always keep an eye on the news. I can’t publish a piece on tomatoes in Angola while Houthis are taking over Yemen, or when a leader has just passed away! I also spend time on program analysis by extracting performance reports for our various programs and determining whether – and how – these programs can be enhanced in terms of quality and audience social activity.
I don’t normally have lunch during the day as my job depends entirely on what is going on in the world, so lunch is not set in stone. It could be at 1:00 or anytime later. But I usually have something sweet; a cupcake or chocolate cake, and more coffee!
The afternoon usually includes meetings with the producers. I make use of these meetings to share with them insights into how well their programs are doing, and discuss how to make things better or how to repeat a success and build on it. BBC Arabic has been operating since 1938 so we have a wellspring of archive that no one else in the world has – from exclusive interviews and news bulletins to reports of key historical events. One of my favorite tasks is the weekly release of one of those videos, so I spend time in the afternoon just going through the archive to select my next weekly release. I spend my last hour, i.e. from 5:00 till 6:00, going through our various social media channels to check if I missed anything, and to see whether any trends have emerged while I was away and what people are saying about them.
In Central London where I work, there are 2 nights a week where a sports gear shop organizes a women’s run. It’s a great way to meet people since I am still relatively new in town. Other days I hang out with friends or just go home to enjoy a hot and much-deserved meal.
I get home at around 9:00PM. I usually cook my own food and enjoy the first real meal of the day! Then I spend some time reading. I read novels and anything that has nothing to do with reality – anything that is imaginative and unrelated to real life. If you work in the news industry, you will find that you need to refresh and disconnect every now and then if you don't want your job to get to you! My number one advice for anyone working in the news industry or aspiring to get there would be to disconnect and find a hobby that has nothing to do with current affairs. Working in the media industry can be time-consuming, I know, but try to socialize with people as much as you can. This industry is a lot about connections; so get to know people and never forego an opportunity to meet new people, and never miss out on any event that can add one extra person to your contact list. Good luck!
