Publisher Victor Shiblie has dedicated the past 21 years to the The Washington Diplomat, a respected news source for Washington’s political community. The monthly newspaper boasts 120,000 readers and it is distributed to 180 foreign embassies throughout the city. In addition to running a national publication, Shiblie has traveled the world creating in-depth, on-the-scene reports and a international television program airing in the U.S and several countries in the foreign market.
Shiblie’s work has not gone unnoticed. On May 26, he was honored along with several media pioneers for their contributions to the field of journalism at the Inaugural Multicultural Media Correspondents Dinner hosted by the Vote it Loud Corporation at the National Press Club. “It’s an honor to receive an award such as this. It means a lot to me. We come in a very small group and are considered a minority, so it’s a great honor and it shows what we do is relevant,” says Shiblie.
He is extremely passionate about his career and uses his platform to raise awareness on social issues in his community and on an international scale. Shiblie supports civic engagement and voters’ rights. He truly believes in equality for all mankind and although America has made significant progress, Shiblie knows there is still much to do. “We saw the first African American president run the White House for two consecutive terms. This is something I never thought I would witness in my lifetime. What will be inspiring to young people is that we do examples of people who have made it despite these social challenges,” he says.
Shiblie also proudly founded and serves as chair for the nonprofit Arab Empowerment initiative, Al Mubadarah, providing assistance to people in the Middle East through development projects. He enjoys giving back to the community and says it’s one of the most important aspects of his occupation. As a father, Shiblie wants his children to see that, they too, can make an impact in the lives of those less fortunate whether big or small. “I want to continue to influence my own environment and encourage other people to do the same. To me it’s part of being American,” he says.
