Yasmin Vossoughian got her “big break” in 2005 as a correspondent for Current TV. After stints at NY1 and AOL, Vossoughian has landed at the recently relaunched HLN. Along with Ali Nejad, Vossoughian hosts the 5-hour program “The Daily Share.”
TVNewser: So, tell us about your new show.
Vossoughian: We’re going the female audience in their 30s, which is more like my demographic. Women who have all sorts of interests, everything from ISIS and Israeli-Palestinian issues to dog videos and taking your dog on the subway. To “Is Beyonce pregnant or not?” to, Sports. A lot of time we underestimate what women in my demographic are interested in and how involved we are in sharing those stories. “The Daily Share” is so exciting because, I think, the perfect medium. We’re trying to get these stories before they’re even trending, to talk about stories before they go viral. It’s more of a conversation with the audience, it’s really chill. We’re just inviting people in to our really cool, sleek-looking living room and letting them hash it out.
TVNewser: You’ve reported hard-hitting news in countries such as Afghanistan and Iran. Is it a shock to your system to cover things like crazy-eyed cats and cute dog videos?
Vossoughian: There are days when I’m like, “really guys? Really? Is there where I’m gonna go?” I will say that Ali and I both have expertise in various things: he knows all about sports, lifestyle, travel, entertainment. Any breaking news, any hard-hitting news, I will be handling – which we still will definitely be covering. But [it’s] a little bit of a dance for me. I take pictures of my dog constantly, I also read the New York Times cover to cover, and the New Yorker. I think in the news business this happens: “I’m the smart one, I’m going to cover this and you’re going to cover that – you’re the fluff.” No. Let’s put it all in one. Let’s mix it up. Let’s understand that we are all well-rounded people, we all want to know about Bradley Cooper or George Clooney‘s wedding. But we also care about what is happening overseas. Initially, it was not easy, but this is who I am. I am this show.
TVNewser: It’s only been a few days, but what is the most bizarre thing you’ve reported on so far on “The Daily Share?”
Vossoughian: Did you see the fat dog? Who lets their dog get that fat!?
TVNewser: I saw it. My wife gets mad if I feed my dog one little table scrap. The show revolves around social media, but how much of your personal life are you actually willing to share?
Vossoughian: That has taken me a little bit to get used to. The whole selfie thing… for me, I feel like it’s a little narcissistic to always be taking selfies. But, a very good friend of mine who has been in this industry for a long time told me, “people want to see what you’re doing. And how you’re living. They see you on the screen and want to know what your life is about.” By her telling me that, she inspired me to start to share more. I’ve begun to share a lot more. I share my dog a lot, my trips. I like to share things that either inspire, or get people seeing me as a normal person, doing normal things. It’s a fine line. I’m still figuring this out.
TVNewser: Your career has brought you all over the world. In what country does social media make the biggest impact on society?
Vossoughian: I think that Arab Spring is an incredible example of the use of social media. We’re actually able to see what is going on. I will talk about Iran because it’s a country I know well and I’ve worked in a lot.. The power of social media is that we can recognize what the people believe, through social [media], The impact it has made in the United States is that it’s making us more curious about the rest of the world and we’re having conversations that we never had before. We’re creating social change. Look at Ferguson. It’s amazing how we’re able to spread social change through social media.