Syria Today | Taking on the Old Boys’ Club

Taking on the Old Boys’ Club

Words Dalia Haidar
Photo Adel Samara

Appointed as Syria’s first female editor-in-chief to the state-run Tishreen newspaper in January, Samira al-Masalmeh has embarked on the job with plenty of energy and new ideas. The question is whether the paper’s elderly staff and arcane editorial structure are ready for the large-scale makeover she has in mind.

“I am happy to be the first female editor-in-chief, but it is a difficult task,” Masalmeh said.

In the first three months on the job, the thirty-something-year-old has faced a broad range of challenges, from the decrepit state of the building which houses the newspaper, to the advanced age of the staff.

“The building is very run down,” she said. “As for the staff, 60 percent of them will retire within three years, while 60 percent of the remaining staff is over 50.”

Introducing such senior and otherwise experienced staff to modern media technology has not always been straightforward, she said.

As a young woman, Masalmeh has also had to find ways to deal with a traditionally male-dominated newsroom, in which most men are not accustomed to taking orders from women.

“I am trying to deal with this rationally and look at it from their point of view,” she said. “Many of the staff here are men over 50 years old, and they are dealing with a young female editor-in-chief. It is not easy, I can understand that.”

In her first months as editor-in-chief, Masalmeh has been trying to change the working structures at the newspaper.

“I tried to form a work team in each department of the newspaper,” she said. “I’m hardly ever in my office, as I keep moving between the different departments and the newsroom.”

Moreover, Masalmeh has already drafted a plan of action to thoroughly overhaul the unwieldy organisation and introduce a fresh approach to the journalistic process.

Based on the principles outlined in the Syrian government’s 2005 Tenth Five-Year Plan, Masalmeh intends to expand the network of contributors and develop the newspaper in a way that reflects Syrian society as a whole. She also plans to launch a new foreign language service for expatriate Syrians.

“I really want to turn the newspaper into a productive organisation that publishes a variety of titles,” she said.

Experience gained as a managing editor on the home news desk of the privately owned daily Al-Watan newspaper and the economic weekly Al-Iqtisadiya magazine has helped Masalmeh deal with the challenges she faces in her current position.

“My experiences at Al-Watan and Al-Iqtisadiya were important,” she said. “I learnt how to manage a team and understood that success can never be individual.”

At Tishreen, Masalmeh has started seeing the results of her initiatives after less than three months on the job, with the launch of a new economic weekly on March 10.

The new Tishreen publication, Al-Iqtisadiy, was launched to coincide with the opening of the Damascus Securities Exchange after a hesitant Masalmeh, who had considered delaying publication, was persuaded to do so by her enthusiastic staff.

“The team pushed so hard to make this weekly publication succeed,” she said.

While Masalmeh’s to-do list seems to be getting longer all the time, she is pleased with what has been achieved so far.

“Even if I don’t achieve anything else, I’m happy that I formed a strong team in the economic department and that they managed to create a new publication,” she said. “I have also taught my staff to accept other opinions when it comes to political topics.”

Masalmeh is ambitious enough to make her plans succeed, but admits that the price is high.

“My new position has affected my private life and my family,” the mother of two young boys said. “I haven’t spent one evening with my sons in the last three months. Luckily, I at least got married before taking this job.”