by Suvro Banerji
The morning of September 11, 2001, Shazia Khan was working for NY1 news channel and searching for her big story. Before she knew it, she was in the midst of the biggest story of the decade.
“As I stood with my camera and tripod on Chambers Street, I will never forget hearing the loud boom and seeing the cloud of debris and smoke that soon followed,” Khan recalled.
Shazia was shooting video of the burning twin towers and gathering interviews from witnesses in downtown Manhattan. “In just minutes, the city's beloved skyline and the lives of New Yorkers changed forever.”
Shazia Khan joined NY1 as a news assistant and worked her way up to become a general assignment reporter. A second generation Indian-American, Khan is a native of Westchester County. She graduated from New York University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.
“As a student, I pursued Broadcast Journalism because it had the added layer of video to better tell a story,” said Khan. “I was initially attracted to journalism because it afforded one the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life. That initial interest grew into a passion to share information with others.”
Shazia has always loved covering stories that reflect the cultural and religious diversity of New York City.
“It's great for viewers to see reporters mirror the diversity of the city,” Khan said. In 2005, she helped in launching “Immigrant History Week” in New York City with Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Khan served as the mistress of ceremonies at Gracie Mansion.
As a local news reporter, Shazia understands the importance of establishing and maintaining relationships with viewers and readers, especially at a time when so many of them choose the Internet as their destination for news.
“We're not the only ones toting cameras everyday and we're not the only ones with the ability to share information with the masses anymore,” Khan said. “So let's hope they connect with your news organization first.”
Shazia Khan is a panelist on "Breaking Into Broadcast" at the 2011 SAJA Convention.
