Suhana Meharchand Host of Saturday Report and of Newsworld Primetime Newscasts Written by Preeti Thandi

   • Saturday Report
   • Newsworld

Suhana Meharchand wanted to be a journalist ever since she was 6 years old. The inspirational force was her Uncle, a journalist in South Africa who championed equality and opportunity. He worked underground for most of his life and died before apartheid. With the strong belief that she could affect change, Suhana taught herself how to type, separate fact from fiction and in the process write fantastic stories. "The stories we tell do affect change," she says. "If you know what you are passionate about you will be good at it."

Born in Durban in South Africa, Suhana moved to Canada in 1968. She graduated from Ryerson Polytechnic's journalism program. Suhana's parents on the contrary wanted her to become a doctor. However, she chose to follow her heart's instinct and made her parents extremely proud when she first appeared on national television.

Stepping into media from an ethnic community was an opportunity for Suhana. "I think its' an opportunity to put the face of our community. We are a voice in the global community," she says. "It is also a way of telling stories that are important."

Suhana has spent a lot of time mentoring and talking to others with empathy. She loves speaking to avid youngsters who seek her out for advice and talks about challenges, opportunities and her own fulfilling moments. The South Asian community is a lot about fulfilling the parents' wishes she feels.

Her South Asian heritage has enabled her to bring a national voice to the community. "Tell my story and inspire others with credibility, integrity and passion," she says. Suhana has also been able to bring core issues to the limelight and has suggested stories that have crossed cultural divides like the story on Nelson Mandela's freedom day.

Her advice to aspiring journalists - "Find somebody whose work you respect and pick their brain. Find a mentor," she says. "Talk with them about your thoughts and the way to look at your career. Allow them to advice you. If you are starting out send story ideas to local newspapers, certainly talk about things affecting you, about impoverished countries, what you've experienced, get involved in your community with passion. Look at opportunities, take the job outside of the big city, try your hand at different skills and get ahead of the game."

Suhana sees total expansion in media in terms of ethnic representation, "I see doors opening as the face of our city continues to change. I don't think there will be too much distinction. The gap between fringe media and mainstream will close. The whole point is to make your voice heard. The smaller papers are growing, that gap will disappear.

For Suhana it is a tough battle to balance family and work. "It is a job that requires an incredible amount of dedication and commitment. A broadcaster's job is one with a lot of performance. People only see the glamour," she says.

As a young journalist, she found it a bit of a challenge to prove herself. Yet she had the advantage of being a woman. She was able to do stories on abuse with empathy, stories that perhaps men would not have been able to do. Being a mother was also an advantage. It helped her do forums with youth, and talk about drugs, peer pressure etc.

"There is opportunity for women in media but more opportunity in management," says Suhana. "Barb Williams at TORONTO 1 and Cynthia Kinch at CBC News are good examples."

Suhana has won several acclaims including two Bronze medals at the Columbus International Film and Video Festival and a Bronze medal at the International Film and TV Festival of New York. She has also been honored with the Media Arts Award from the Association of Women of India in Canada and was named Journalist of the Year by the South African Women for Women. She has also received the Paul Harris Fellowship Award from the Rotary Club International.

For Suhana the journey has been wonderful. She is constantly inspired by everyday stories on the street. "If I stopped caring I would do something else, maybe law," she says. Suhana aspires to have her own daytime show someday like Oprah Winfrey and she would love to call it the "Suhana Meharchand Show"!