--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the desire to be a journalist…" description: "\"I think the desire to be a journalist started post-911. I'm Syrian American. I speak fluent Arabic. I'd come back to the States for college. I went to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eaf/arwa-damon-55155_authority_i-think-the-desire-to-be-a-journalist-st_173847.jpg" --- # I think the desire to be a journalist started post-911… ![“I think the desire to be a journalist started post-911. I'm Syrian American. I speak fluent Arabic. I'd come back to the States for college. I went to Skidmore in upstate New York. I was coming from Turkey, and I'd noticed that I could talk about concepts and ideas and people who seemed foreign to…” quote by Arwa Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eaf/arwa-damon-55155_authority_i-think-the-desire-to-be-a-journalist-st_173847.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eaf/arwa-damon-55155_authority_i-think-the-desire-to-be-a-journalist-st_173847.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eaf/arwa-damon-55155_authority_i-think-the-desire-to-be-a-journalist-st_173847.jpg) > “I think the desire to be a journalist started post-911. I'm Syrian American. I speak fluent Arabic. I'd come back to the States for college. I went to Skidmore in upstate New York. I was coming from Turkey, and I'd noticed that I could talk about concepts and ideas and people who seemed foreign to Americans, and they were interested in what I had to say. I think some of it is maybe because I'm very unassuming and I look American, but I'm very much from there as well so I can speak with authority about all of these issues.” [Arwa Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arwa-damon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker’s multicultural background and language skills give them a unique perspective to bridge cultural gaps in journalism. **In simple terms:** Being bilingual and bicultural lets the speaker explain foreign topics to Americans. Key Takeaway Use your dual identity to inform and connect audiences. Themes journalism culture identity communication representation Mood thoughtful inspired confident Type personal professional motivational When to use this quote - newsrooms - public speaking - educational panels - community outreach - media training Key Concepts cross‑cultural insight authentic voice media representation Questions to Reflect On - How can you ensure balanced reporting while drawing on personal experience? - What stories benefit most from a cross‑cultural lens? A Different Perspective Audience may question the speaker’s objectivity or depth of expertise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [911 Syrian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/911-syrian-1876689/) [Americans Interested](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans-interested-1876688/) [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Foreign Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-americans-1876690/) [Journalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalist/) [Journalist Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalist-started-1876687/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Syrian American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/syrian-american-1674300/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I didn't start off as a journalist; I started off as a poet. My ambition was to practise poetry. Then I found journalism, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/i-didn-t-start-off-as-a-journalist-i-started-off-as-a-poet-my/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [The hope for an American is different from the hope of a Syrian. For me, I should be the hope of the Syrian, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/the-hope-for-an-american-is-different-from-the-hope-of-a-syrian-for/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [When you talk about Al-Qaeda it doesn't matter if he's Syrian or American or from Europe or from Asia or Africa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/when-you-talk-about-al-qaeda-it-doesn-t-matter-if-he-s-syrian-or/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [“This is Shakespeare and Company, it's the most famous bookstore in the world." She pointed to the shelves that reached the ceiling. 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They have an education system that teaches them to find out for themselves why things are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/americans-are-interested-because-they-are-open-minded-they-have-an/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [The Americans were never interested in what was best for the Shiites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muqtada-al-sadr/the-americans-were-never-interested-in-what-was-best-for-the-shiites/) [Muqtada al Sadr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muqtada-al-sadr/) > [Perhaps if there were less certitude about our climate future, more Americans would be interested in having a reasoned conversation about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/perhaps-if-there-were-less-certitude-about-our-climate-future-more/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [We Americans are interested only in the consumption of our products. We have no interest in how they are produced, or what happens to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-americans-are-interested-only-in-the-consumption-of-our-products/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are certain realities about the world we live in. Syria and Iraq are just not going to get on air every day. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arwa-damon/there-are-certain-realities-about-the-world-we-live-in-syria-and-iraq/) [Arwa Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arwa-damon/) > [The official independence celebration was going to be held over four or five days, and a group of journalists from all over the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryszard-kapuscinski/the-official-independence-celebration-was-going-to-be-held-over-four/) [Ryszard Kapuscinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryszard-kapuscinski/) > [I realized I couldn't be a journalist because I like to take a side, to have an opinion and a point a view; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/i-realized-i-couldn-t-be-a-journalist-because-i-like-to-take-a-side/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [Music journalists love Elvis Costello and hate me because they look like Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lee-roth/music-journalists-love-elvis-costello-and-hate-me-because-they-look/) [David Lee Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lee-roth/) > [If, for instance, they have heard something from the postman, they attribute it to a semi-official statement; if they have fallen into conversation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/if-for-instance-they-have-heard-something-from-the-postman-they/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) ## More by Arwa Damon > [I have never been able to let Iraq go. It is a part of me. Even under Saddam Hussein, even despite what the country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arwa-damon/i-have-never-been-able-to-let-iraq-go-it-is-a-part-of-me-even-under/) [Arwa Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arwa-damon/) > [We need to continue to strive to tell these different stories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arwa-damon/we-need-to-continue-to-strive-to-tell-these-different-stories/) [Arwa Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arwa-damon/) > [To be fearless is to be reckless. I think you need a certain level of fear because you need to respect the danger and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arwa-damon/to-be-fearless-is-to-be-reckless-i-think-you-need-a-certain-level-of/) [Arwa Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arwa-damon/) > [There are certain realities about the world we live in. Syria and Iraq are just not going to get on air every day. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arwa-damon/there-are-certain-realities-about-the-world-we-live-in-syria-and-iraq/) [Arwa Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arwa-damon/) > [I think we need to be human. Nobody is objective. We need to go in and be human - especially today, especially given everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arwa-damon/i-think-we-need-to-be-human-nobody-is-objective-we-need-to-go-in-and/) [Arwa Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arwa-damon/) [Explore all 6 Arwa Damon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arwa-damon/) ## More Authority quotes > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. 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