Mississippi Today is excited to announce Bashirah Mack as its first full-time Video Producer.

Bashirah, from Atlanta, is a filmmaker, video producer, and video editor who has contributed to reporting for The Washington Post, City Bureau, and Chicago Public Media. In 2023, she participated in Netflix’s Documentary Archival Researcher Training program.

Bashirah earned a master’s degree in 2022 from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, where she was a Marlon T. Riggs Fellow for Documentary Filmmaking.

In 2022, Bashirah completed her first short documentary about one woman’s legal fight against pregnancy discrimination.

“Bashirah’s skill set instantly elevates Mississippi Today’s video presence,” said Richard Lake, Mississippi Today’s Video Editor. “Bashirah’s experience covering marginalized communities across the country while blending in her creativity and artistry results in truly compelling work. I’m so excited for Mississippi to see her work.”

Eager to elevate human-centered stories, she has already started making connections.

“I’ve been meeting people where they are—on the bus, at the library, on the street, in the coffee shops—and I’m excited to explore more, to learn from the people who know Jackson deeply—the locals.”

Bashirah will serve on Mississippi Today’s newly formed Video Team, which is tasked with translating Mississippi Today reporting into compelling video for audiences across the state.

“Producing is my strength,” Mack said, “I look forward to using my production, editing, research, and aerial photography skills to do what I’m trained to do – for documentary, for video news, for Mississippi Today, and most of all for the people.”