Ariba Shahid is a journalist most known for her stellar work at Profit magazine, a standout publication focused on the Pakistani economy and business world. She is also known for her very popular Twitter account which can she can be found expertly threading the needle between her worklife and seeming expertise at, in her own words I promise, shitposting.
We talk about her career, some of her more famous articles, some of her viral Twitter moments, and also about the recent TPR tangent of why Pakistani news and discourse seem to view factual discourse as something to be kept firmly at arm's length. All on the heels of massive recent upheavals in Pakistan's government.
Things discussed in this episode:
00:00 Intro
02:01 How did Ariba become a business journalist?
07:46 How she became a writer, and early days at Profit
12:42 The award winning story about Pakistani Lawn being sold/smuggled to India, how it happened (LINKED BELOW)
17:20 A discussion on Lotus vs Candi biscuits (LINKED BELOW)
23:06 Why is Profit magazine’s tone so approachable/current?
30:01 Twitter in Pakistan: fake news, fake trends, high school analogies
40:48 Live-tweeting her way to virality during the TRG EGM
49:22 Behind her “Stock Market Is Not An Indicator of the Economy” catchphrase, and wider issues of financial illiteracy in Pakistan
54:37 The completely trash level of Financial News discourse on mainstream TV (feat. Shahzeb Khanzada’s abs)
59:39 Drawing room discussions in Pakistan and their disconnect from facts, would she host her own TV show?
1:06:12 Jinn Stories! O levels feat OBL, and Noor Jehan’s batcave!
1:13:11 Outro
LINKS:
Her article on Pakistan Lawn and it's huge market in India: https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/12/26/pakistani-lawns-biggest-market-could-be-in-india-but-isnt-because-we-cant-have-nice-things/
Her article on the Lotus biscuit craze and why Candi could learn: https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2021/01/24/thinking-outside-the-wrapper-how-local-brands-like-candi-can-compete-with-lotus/
Her Twitter: https://twitter.com/AribaShahid
Her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aribashahid/
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