Hanna Yusuf

Hanna Yusuf (1992 – 2019) was a Somali journalist who worked for BBC News as a reporter and producer.[1]

Hanna Yusuf
Born1992
Somalia
Died
United Kingdom
Cause of deathSuicide
Occupation
  • Journalist
  • TV news producer
AwardsGuardian's Scott Trust Bursary 2016/17
Websitehannayusuf.com

Early life and education

Hanna Yusuf was born in Somalia in 1992.[2] She grew up in the Netherlands until age 9.[3] Later she and her family migrated to the United Kingdom. Following her degree in French and Spanish at Queen Mary University of London, she received The Guardian's Scott Trust Bursary to complete a Master of Arts degree in newspaper journalism at City, University of London in 2017.[3]

She spoke six languages.[1]

Journalism

She began blogging at a young age.[3] Her first news article was published by The Independent in 2015 while she was still at university, on her experience of being suspected as a "jihadi bride" on arriving alone at Heathrow Airport.[3][4]

Before joining the BBC, she regularly contributed to The Guardian,[5] The Independent[6] and Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Pool.[7]

At BBC, she primarily worked for the BBC News at One programme. She investigated poor working conditions at Costa Coffee[1][8] and was responsible for breaking the story about and Shamima Begum’s grooming by the Islamic State.[9]

Activism and volunteering

Yusuf was a pro-hijab activist, and in 2015 appeared in a viral video[3] made by The Guardian in which she explained her decision at the time to wear the hijab, saying, "It has nothing to do with oppression. It's a feminist statement."[10][11]

She was an active volunteer at the non-profit Joseph Interfaith Foundation.[3][12]

Death

On 30 September 2019, her family released a statement about her death, describing her as a "vibrant professional who became a bridge between the media and the community".[13]

An inquest in March 2020 recorded that she had taken her own life.[1]

Awards

Hanna Yusuf was posthumously nominated for Press Gazette's British Journalism Awards 2019.[14] Special tribute was paid to her at the ceremony, where a video was played in which she had spoken of her efforts to win the trust of interviewees. The judges described her as "clearly a journalistic star in the making".[15]

References
  1. "Hanna Yusuf: Talented BBC journalist took her own life, inquest hears". BBC. 20 March 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  2. Drury, Colin (1 October 2019). "Hanna Yusuf death: Tributes pour in after BBC journalist dies aged 27". The Independent. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  3. Guardian Staff (2017-06-14). "Meet the Scott Trust Bursary students 2016/17". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  4. Yusuf, Hanna (2015). "Hanna Yusuf: 'I didn't believe British Muslims were being victimised. Then I was stopped at Heathrow'". The Independent. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  5. "Hanna Yusuf". the Guardian. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
  6. "Hanna Yusuf". The Independent. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
  7. Wolfe-Robinson, Maya (2019-09-30). "Tributes paid after BBC journalist Hanna Yusuf's death at 27". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  8. Yusuf, Hanna (2019-08-23). "Costa Coffee workers 'not treated like humans'". Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  9. Shamima Begum's family lawyer writes to Home Office, Hanna Yusuf reports, retrieved 2019-11-19
  10. My hijab is nothing to do with oppression. It's a feminist statement - Hanna Yusuf, Comment is Free, retrieved 2019-11-19
  11. Turan, Cyan (2019-10-01). "Tributes pour in for BBC journalist Hanna Yusuf who has died aged 27". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  12. "The Joseph Interfaith Foundation". www.josephinterfaithfoundation.org. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  13. Wolfe-Robinson, Maya (2019-09-30). "Tributes paid after BBC journalist Hanna Yusuf's death at 27". The Guardian. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  14. "BBC's Hanna Yusuf up for journalism award". 2019-11-07. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  15. Mayhew, Freddie (10 December 2019). "British Journalism Awards 2019". Press Gazette. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
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