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For almost ten years, she has been present in the Moroccan media sector. Melinda Lamia Sonia Mrini, daughter of Moroccan parents naturalized in France, was born in 1985 in Nice. Originally from Meknes, her mother lived in France since she was six moths old and worked in the medical sector. On the other hand, her father, passionate about theater and photography, arrived in France when he was 19 years old to pursue his studies as a photographer and reporter. Later on he became general treasurer of a renowned clinic in Nice.
Sister of two brothers, it is in this environment that Melinda Lamia Mrini was born, learning from an early age the ins and outs of journalism. Indeed, her older brother was passionate about history and news. Being part of the family's daily rituals, watching the news, Melinda started showing interest in the field. «Watching the news on 2M, RTM and France television was mandatory for my family», she told Yabiladi.
A journalist since middle school
This was the trigger for the younger Melinda. She told us that when she was 7 and while watching a newscast told her father : «One day, I'll be in the shoes of this anchor». She was still at the time a middle school student, the young girl was named edito-in-chief of the school's newspaper after she was complimented for being a good speaker.
In high school, she was part of «Apollo FM» radio, the one and only high school radio at the time in France. «It was both serious and interactive», she recalls with an enthusiastic vioce. «I interviewed teachers from my school, high school students who had rock bands, and I read the news...». It's all for her father who was proud to follow the future reporter making her first steps. She quickly was noticed by the France television, which then devoted a portrait as part of a youth program, to her putting under the spotlight teenagers who launch useful initiatives.
After graduating high school, Melinda's father and elder brother recommended her to do a master's degree in history. But Melinda changed her mind joining the journalim school at the University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis. She opted for television, magazines and documentaries as her major and subscribed for Arabic language courses. After a series of internships at Trace TV and Radio France, she came to Morocco, as part of an internship conventioned at SNRT. She was amazed at the time to see that her work was put on air from the very beginning.
Entering the professional world
The young journalist has indeed benefited from learning classical Arabic. With her diploma in her hand, the 22-year-old woman flew to Egypt, a country known by literature, music and cenima. There, she took intensive Arabic and English courses at the American University in Cairo.
In addition to her studies, she worked for the AFP office in the Egyptian capital. «It was pure chance», she said. «I knocked on the doors, I convinced the manager to hire me as a freelance contributor and I won my first challenge». She succeeded in letting the AFP director intrust her with a camera.
Very confident, Melinda Mrini made her first big report for the French news agency. For the first mission, the young journalist followed the Muslim women who go to churches in Cairo to be exorcised by a priest. The story was different and new and for good reason it was the thing that made people pay attention to her work. «It was at that time that my manager told me 'welcome to AFP'», she proudly recalls.
However, Melinda was not compeletely happy with her AFP collaboration. She was eager to learn on site in order to discover the Egyptian society. She worked for a few local newspapers such as «Le Petit Journal» and «Le Progres Egyptien», one of the first French-language newspapers in the country. She even worked with a production company, where she met Youssef Chahine, as well as big names in photography in Egypt. After one year, Melinda felt «Egyptian in heart».
Once in France, she was told by her former boss that she's got what it needs to join AFP in Paris. She then embarked for a new adventure looking for new challenges.
Rediscovering Morocco
Until then, Melinda has kept only childhood memories of Morocco, the summer holidays with family, and the long trips by car and boat. Eager to discover her country of origin differently, she decided to fly to the kingdom despite the refusal of her father.
For the young journalist, it was the first page of a new book on the writing, allowing her to discover different horizons. She applied for the position of a journalist in 2M.
Quickly, she was recruited being part of the team that sets up the news programming for Radio 2M. She met Sami El Jai, Karim Dronet and spoke to Samira Sitail as a true professional model, she told Yabiladi. In 2011, Melinda Mrini was covering the itervention of the former American President, Barrack Obama, from Washington on the day of the military operation killing Osama bin Laden. After that, she worked in television where she joined Grand Angle show team.
«Having met people like Samira Sitail and Réda Benjelloun, really gave me the desire to stay in Morocco», says Melinda Mrini. In the field, she is passionate about dealing with social issues, and interested in topics like suicide among young people, Moroccan goumiers, migrants, minor maids, and the isolation of the Midelt region ...
«I think that in Morocco, being a journalist makes sense. We think of the importance of doing useful journalism, which sheds light on taboo societal issues, which helps to make a difference by dealing with human situations in remote areas ...».
«Useful» journalism
For having worked in Egypt, France and Morocco, Melinda Mrini thinks that her job is of a great public utility : «We are not journalists to make money but first and foremost by passion». The reporter is convinced that her job is intended to contribute to a positive change in the situation of the country.
«We do it because we have a very strong human side and we want to change the situation of unfortunate people, using our pen or camera... We feel this need in Morocco».
During a report in the North, Melinda Mrini was caught by the charm of Tangier. The Mediterranean aspect of the city reminded her of Nice where she grew up. She decided to move there and to take care of 2M's regional coverage. But after working for nine years with the channel, she was caught up in the idea of leaving Morocco.
Indeed, the journalist slowly became convinced that she had to leave. Gender and society made her want to flee the country. «We can fight against the negative perception of Moroccan women by their society», she told Yabiladi. Living as a woman in this nation is becoming more and more difficult. «I have the feeling that we are falling back on the societal level, even though the debate is there. Yet, I did some reporting on harassment but it became more and more heavy to encounter that on a daily basis».
In addition to the bullying on the street and the evil looks of others, working as a journalist has not always been easy for Melinda. She says, she knows what it's like to be brought back to being a woman: «I was never told directly that being a woman and having a position full of responsibility, was embarrassing. But I went through situations that would have been easier, if I were a man. It's like asking women to do twice as much as their peers, so that they are taken more seriously».
In the midst of uncertainty, Melinda is embarking on a new project that was proposed to her by Medi1 TV almost a year ago. Sailing between Tangiers and Rabat, she is called to take charge of the launching and coordination of Journal de l'Afrique, holding the position of editor-in-chief and responsible for correspondents and reports. She has also been asked to read the news.
«This job sticks to my skin and I could not do anything else», she says. I think I will stay in this country to continue to produce reports that will help with the development of Morocco». Looking ahead, she dreams of launching «a show that would create debate» or even why not a media. The high school girl who took the microphone grew up, but her dreams remained intact.
