A German of Lebanese origin, Abdul Karim was born in 1981 in Liberia. He studied communications and computer science at Dresden Technical University and Lyon National Institute of Applied Sciences. He holds a master's degree in communications and leadership from Quadriga University in Berlin. Abdul Karim has a video blog on Der Spiegel and a column at Zeit Online .

Producing shows in these countries has not always been easy . “In every country we visit, we encounter difficulties and try to overcome them. But we never accept to waive our standards because we are very keen on having a credible voice,” said Abdul Karim, explaining that they always make sure that different views to the same question are presented in his shows.

The 36-year-old journalist said that the aim of the program was to speak with people and not about them. The shows were shot in Berlin until 2015, with an Arabic-speaking audience present. Since then, Abdul Karim has been producing shows in Jordan, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia, Qatar, Sudan, Libya, Iraq and Mauritania.

“The show started in 2011, after the so-called Arab Spring, when young people in the Middle East were eager to speak out and express their opinions about politics, social change and the economic situation of their country,” Abdul Karim told Al-Monitor. “They wanted to be part of that change. They needed to be heard and respected. That’s what made us at DW start 'Shababtalk.'”

Jaafar Abdul Karim’s award-winning TV show " Shababtalk " is described by his viewers as daring, unbiased and outspoken on the sensitive issues in the Arab world, such as rights, corruption, refugees, religion and sex. The interactive talk show, which is broadcast on Deutsche Welle-Arabia every Tuesday, gives a voice to Arab youth and is watched by millions, according to DW.

“Some Arab countries try to set limits [to what we can discuss] and don’t necessarily welcome the fact that we speak about particular issues. As a result, sometimes you are denied filming or cannot get guests or are even threatened," he said. “At first you may feel hesitant, but then you say, 'No, it’s my right to speak freely about all issues and it’s my job as a journalist.' We have millions watching and interacting with us, I should not fear or hesitate. I have to go and support people who need support."

The 2017 World Press Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters Without Borders, shows that 14 of the 22 countries in the Middle East have dropped further down its rankings over the past year. Egypt’s ranking is 161 after dropping two places, Qatar is down six places to 123, Algeria is down five places to 134, while Bahrain is down also two places to 164.

"Shababtalk" over the last few months has both won awards and impacted the youth. In an episode called "What are the challenges young Mauritanians face?" a female guest accused Mauritanian Minister of Youth Mohamed Ould Jibril of "killing her dream" in finding a job after graduation. Following the show, the hashtag #You killed my dream spread on social media where young people criticized the Mauritanian government's inability to provide employment for the youth.

Another episode — "I’m a Jordanian woman, why don’t I have the same rights as men?" — uncovered widespread sexual harassment in Jordan, which is mostly not talked about.

"Shababtalk" also covered the World Youth Forum, held in the Egyptian Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh last November, and discussed the challenges Egyptian youth face, including freedom of speech and unemployment.

Abdul Karim was named Germany’s Reporter of the Year by Medium magazine in 2016. Last December, "Shababtalk" won the Anna Lindh Mediterranean Journalist Award in the Radio and TV category for its episode titled "Does the Arab world need a women's rights revolution?" which addressed the issue of gender inequality in the Arab world.

Abdul Karim said he believes his duty as a journalist is to “ask and re-ask, confront and to present facts and figures." But he noted that he would never try to influence anyone’s answer and make sure that everyone speaks freely on his show.

“I often say 'respect our intelligence,' because today if the Arab youth don't speak about something, this is not because they don’t know. It is because they are being oppressed and they are afraid of being harassed or detained. But they understand everything,” he added.

Abdul Karim sometimes gets attacked for featuring sensitive topics such as transgender issues, freedom of religion and homosexuality, but he insists these are relevant issues. “All the topics that we discuss in 'Shababtalk' come from the heart of the Arab world and Arab societies. Some people consider them important and others see them not as important,” he said.

He added, “Even if there is only one person facing a problem or a challenge you should give him a voice. I should give the minority more space to express themselves."

Abdul Karim also discusses the refugee crisis in his shows, but from a humanitarian position, which, as he believes, helps in changing how people look at refugees.

“Behind the word ‘refugees’ there are human beings who have stories. We went to the refugee camps in Jordan and Lebanon and we also visited them in Germany. We have enabled refugees to meet with politicians in our program that helped in changing the stereotypes that people have about refugees,” Abdul Karim said.

The Anna Lindh award was also largely due to his ability to create an atmosphere of free discussion. “The show won the award for many reasons. First, Jaafar is an excellent moderator who manages the dialogue and discussions in a very good way. The show also discusses all the issues freely and with a new point of view,” Naglaa El-Emary, a prominent journalist and jury member of the 2017 Anna Lindh Mediterranean Journalist Award, told Al-Monitor.

Emary said the show reaches many people on social media. “Through his show, Jaafar emerges as a true defender of freedom within its broader meaning,” she said.

For Abdul Karim, awards represent appreciation, but the best award will always be the love of his audience.

“I like it when our followers and viewers say that I’m the journalist who is changing the Arab world. This means that people feel that with our program we are contributing to changing the Arab world,” he concluded. “Now we have a responsibility toward our audience, so 2018 will bring more surprises regarding the countries that we will visit and the discussions that we will have.”