Masuma Ahuja

Bio

Having lived on three continents, I'm particularly interested in global issues and international politics. I'm a recent graduate from Oxford, with an honors BA in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics. I've also worked on the hill, in microfinance, and for various nonprofits and media outlets.
ProPublica, Storify, and the Top 5 Cool New Media Startups That Are Changing the Game
By Masuma Ahuja
In a world where we find out about news within seconds on Twitter, where aggregators compete to tell us every story (in 140 characters or less), the media industry is changing on a daily basis. Many start-ups have joined this race to help shape the…
In Search of a Silicon Valley Candidate for President
By Masuma Ahuja
As the GOP race gathers steam, candidates’ histories are increasingly being scrutinized. For frontrunner Mitt Romney, who won both the Iowa Caucus and the New Hampshire Primary, this has meant discussion and criticism of his big business history at…
More Millennial Women Going Back to School, Could Boost Future U.S. Economy
By Masuma Ahuja
Over the last two and a half years, over 400,000 women have dropped out of the labor force.  The staggering number is worrying and indicative of a larger and more interesting trend: As employment opportunities remain dismal, especially for…
The Social Media Evolution: Facebook Timeline Scrapbooks Our Lives
By Masuma Ahuja
Yesterday, news websites and status updates exploded in despair and awe: Facebook had finally changed for American users; the much-anticipated timeline is here.  The timeline is as much an elegant redesign as it is a rethinking of the Facebook…
Rick Perry Website Stolen By Ron Paul Supporters
By Masuma Ahuja
Editor's Note: Since this article was published, the mentioned website was subsequently taken down. A screen shot of the page is available to the left. If you try going to RickPerry.com, you’re in for a surprise. You don’t end up at the Texas…
Huntsman Daughters Bring Much Needed Media Attention to Campaign
By Masuma Ahuja
On Sunday’s Meet the Press, GOP presidential nominee Jon Huntsman announced that he would drop out of the race if the New Hampshire primary does not go well for him and his campaign. His chances don’t look good, as he has consistently been polling…
Hindus Celebrate Diwali, the New Year
By Masuma Ahuja
Today is Diwali: the most important Hindu holiday, celebrated by nearly 1 billion people worldwide. The holiday generally falls on a day in late October or early November — based on the Hindu calendar — and marks the beginning of the Hindu new…
Ed Lee is Right to Run For Reelection in San Francisco
By Masuma Ahuja
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee announced yesterday that he intends on running for reelection on November 8. Lee was appointed to the position of interim mayor in January to complete the term of Gavin Newsom, who had stepped down to become lieutenant…
As Obama Loses Wall Street, Will He Lose Washington?
By Masuma Ahuja
Recent news that President Barack Obama raised a whopping $43 million dollars from July through September for his reelection campaign puts into the spotlight the issue of who is donating to presidential campaigns and which candidates these donors…
Cornel West Arrest Leads to Questions About OWS Leadership
By Masuma Ahuja
On Sunday, at a “Stop the Machine” protest outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., prominent author and Princeton professor Cornel West was one of 19 people arrested. The protest was one of the 1,420 similar “Meet-ups” around the world and…
Netflix Plans to Nix Qwikster, As the People Wanted
By Masuma Ahuja
This morning, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings announced on the company’s blog that it would abandon plans to divide the company into two – with streaming and DVD rentals both remaining at Netflix. The company’s decision to hold off on launching Qwikster…
Why Occupy Wall Street Protesters Should Not Ignore Steve Jobs
By Masuma Ahuja
Since receiving news of Steve Jobs’ death on Wednesday, people have been laying flowers and half-eaten apples outside Apple stores around the country, and Tweeting furiously to pay their respects. At the same time, anger at corporate America is…
A Case For Mandatory HPV Vaccines
By Masuma Ahuja
Last week, at the CNN Tea Party Express debate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry came under fire for his mandate as governor that required all girls and young women in Texas to be vaccinated against HPV, with Rep. Michele Bachmann (R–Minn.) exclaiming that “to…
Optimism in Africa: Looking Beyond Poverty
By Masuma Ahuja
When most people in our generation think of Africa, two things come to mind: Bono and babies with distended bellies. Our impressions of sub-Saharan Africa, influenced heavily by what we see on the news and the internet, focus almost entirely on, and…
Liberal Arts: A Sound Investment in the Future
By Masuma Ahuja
With the cost of college skyrocketing and unemployment rates still dismal, the same question resonates on blogs, newspapers, and college campuses: Is a liberal arts education that doesn’t really prepare students for a specific job worth it? Yes, it…
China's Baby Blues
By Masuma Ahuja
On Sunday Vice President Joe Biden included in his talk at China’s Sichuan University a characteristic blunder, saying, “Your policy has been one which I fully understand – I’m not second-guessing – of one child per family.”  The blunder has…
Pro-Life, Pro-Choice Win With Free Birth Control
By Masuma Ahuja
The Obama administration recently announced a requirement for all health insurers to cover the costs of birth control with no co-pays. Unsurprisingly, this elicited a range of enraged responses — the most extreme of which came from Rep. Steve King…