Ginella Massa, Canada's first veiled newscaster

Toronto journalist Ginella Massa made Canadian media history by becoming the first news anchor to wear the veil on November 17. "Tonight was not just a milestone for me: I don't believe a woman wearing the hijab has ever been at the helm of a newscast in Canada," she tweeted after the newscast. 11 p.m. from CityNews, Toronto.

While the news is dominated by the rise of violent or Islamophobic acts and by the project of the President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, to establish a register for Muslim immigrants, Ginella Massa's statement has been heard as a call for openness and diversity in the media. And immediately ignited the twittosphere. In just a few days, the journalist monopolized the attention of the biggest international media, from National Public Radio to the New York Times, via the Guardian.

The Panamanian-born news anchor, who arrived in Toronto at the age of one, recounts her journey and her expectations of her profession at the dawn of the Trump era.

When did you decide to wear the hijab?

I must have been six years old, but I didn't really adopt him until I was nine. My mom and sister wore it and I didn't want to feel left out. My mother thought I was too young, but I insisted.

Did this piece of clothing end up taking on a special meaning for you?

Yes, absolutely. I understood it better as I got older. Many girls who start wearing the veil at a young age wonder if they should take it off because it makes them look different. My mother encouraged our school to celebrate Eid for a long time, she wanted us to feel that we belonged to our community and at the same time could practice our religion freely and without complex.

Have you ever considered removing it?

September 11, 2001. I was in high school at the time. Our mother was worried about us and told us we could take it off if we wanted. But my sister and I were determined to keep it. It only strengthened our determination and our pride, our confidence in ourselves and our faith. After the attacks, religion caused a lot of talk; people asked us why we wore the veil and questioned us about Ramadan, fasting and prayer.

What got you into television journalism?

In 6th grade, my English teacher, who had been a journalist in Montreal, told us about the profession of television reporter. My mother immediately saw me in there. I told him I doubted they would let me be on camera, but maybe I could do some radio. Since I had never seen someone like me on television, it was difficult to imagine myself in this position. My mom said, "Just because no one has done it doesn't mean you can't do it."

You have worked in the industry for almost six years and have been a reporter for the past two years. What attracts you so much to journalism?

When I was younger, I always wanted to speak up and be in the spotlight. I discovered the world of information and I took a liking to telling people's stories, to going beyond the headlines attached to the last trial or a road accident. When you dig, you always find something important: a person's life.

Has anyone ever objected to a veiled reporter appearing on the air?

I have never met an employer who has said such a thing to my face, but I have always feared this eventuality. At the same time, the country has laws against discrimination and no one could cite this reason to refuse to hire someone. A colleague, who probably did not know that I wanted to do television, once told me that he doubted that a woman wearing the hijab would ever get such a job, because it is too “distracting”. Far from being discouraged, I worked even harder to achieve this.

You already wore the hijab in your television reports, but never as a news anchor. Tell us about your first day, November 17.

In fact, I was asked to be at the helm of the newsletter over the holidays — that's the beauty of diversity in the studio: those who don't celebrate Christmas work to allow others to spend time with their family. The team had told me that they would try to settle me in the station a little before so that I could find my bearings, and that same day, I was asked to host. I was so excited, everything went wonderfully. After the show, my manager congratulated me and asked, “So this is a first for Canada?” I replied that I thought so. He added: “Great, looks like we just made history.”

How did people react after the news made its way around the web?

The response was generally very positive. Those who knew my work congratulated me on this turning point in my career. People who watched me that night said they felt at home seeing me. A woman even wrote to me to tell me that she was sometimes afraid to leave the house with her veil these days, but that after seeing me on television, she was reassured. These kinds of testimonials make me feel like I can change things and that what I'm doing is right. As I said earlier, when I was a kid, I had never seen anyone who looked like me on screen; I hope I can inspire others and make them aware of the possibilities open to them and the place they can occupy.

Unsurprisingly, not all of the online reviews were positive. What do you have to say to gossips?

It’s sometimes hard to ignore negative comments. Although few in number, they stand out and affect us differently. I know most of these bad reviews probably don't know anything about my work and just police themselves against a headline, a photo. And they probably don't like my appearance. I welcome feedback on my work and areas for improvement, but if someone doesn't like what I'm wearing, that's their problem.

You also had to deal with subjects such as the Islamophobic discourse in the United States. How do you achieve this?

It’s tricky, especially because it affects me personally. But as a journalist, I have to detach myself from the news, it does not concern me: I am only there to transmit it. I always try to remain impartial, to have enough distance to ask the right questions, because I feel that I am more in the eye.

Was there a recent event where you found this particularly difficult?

The gay nightclub shooting in Orlando. I was juggling so many emotions that day. I wanted to talk about my community, the homophobia that is very present there and the hardships that LGBT Muslims have to overcome. But as a journalist, I also didn't want to feel like I was betraying her by asking the tough questions. This day was really painful. I came home and cried.

Your story has raised the issue of diversity in the media. Which group remains underrepresented in the industry, in your opinion?

People with physical disabilities. If we really want to expose the challenges of our society, we must draw on its resources. This is why diversity in our studio is so important. If everyone shares the same experience, the same ideas, the same vision of the world, it will show through in the newscast.

As 2017 approaches, what are your hopes for your profession?

I spoke with other Muslim journalists in the United States who wear the hijab, and they told me that they were made very clear that they would never be on screen. And that was before Trump! I find it deplorable that they are punished not because they are incompetent, but because their clothes are deemed inappropriate for television. I hope that by occupying this position, I send a message: see, a veiled woman on the news, it is not the end of the world! People will get used to it, and it's high time.

This text is adapted from Flare.

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