Reporter strives to cross cultures, learn about U.S. journalism in Modesto

There’s an out-of-town journalist tooling around Modesto, soaking up as much as he can about our fair city and environs.

But he’s not here on an assignment for a large East Coast newspaper to write about the drought or the crime story du jour – two topics that often bring far-flung reporters to Modesto. Naimat Khan is a reporter for The Frontier Post, an English-language newspaper in Karachi, Pakistan, and he is visiting as part of a U.S. State Department-funded program to foster greater understanding between journalists in the two countries.

If you encounter Naimat, be sure to say hello. It’s a gesture he’ll surely return, as he’s one of the most friendly and engaging reporters you’d have the pleasure to meet.

Naimat will spend the rest of this month shadowing reporters and editors at The Bee as we go about our daily work. He’s one of 16 Pakistani journalists hosted in newsrooms around the country as part of the U.S.-Pakistan Professional Partnership in Journalism, which is administered by the International Center for Journalists in Washington, D.C. The program also will send 70 American journalists to Pakistan for two weeks of cross-cultural learning in that country.

The upshot is to learn from each other, dispel cultural misconceptions and improve the overall quality of journalism. To that point, the program already is a success; Naimat is eager to tell his country’s story.

“I would like Modesto residents to know that there are various reasons for knowing Pakistan besides or other than terrorism, which has unfortunately become an ugly identity of our country abroad,” he said. “There is a great image problem and misconception that everyone in Pakistan subscribes to extremist ideology.

“Though less developed and marred by corruption and terrorism, the Pakistani society still offers more good than bad. The Pakistani society has a large number of youth aspiring to good education and good jobs. The society has also learned to accept women’s empowerment and we have a big number of women joining different jobs, including media.”

Naimat is a married father of three children. He lives in Karachi, which at a population of 23 million is one of the world’s largest cities.

So, if you meet Naimat, please take a moment to welcome him to Modesto; tell him what you think he needs to know about the U.S. and our community.

Naimat will write each Sunday about his experiences. Look for the column in The Bee and on modbee.com.

This story was originally published August 14, 2015 at 4:13 PM with the headline "Reporter strives to cross cultures, learn about U.S. journalism in Modesto."