Academic literature on writing and its functions often positions the act of writing as a performance. In this process, writers adopt styles, don masks, and craft voices that lend them credibility, authority, or simply an audience. However, this can sometimes come at the cost of being an active, authentic presence within their own work.

At The Gazelle, we’ve frequently reflected on how to remain active participants in our writing. Intentional journalism, after all, lies at the heart of our mission. Yet, achieving this is often more challenging than it seems. With a vast array of perspectives available, we can only address a fraction. Millions of stories are born every minute, yet many remain untold on our pages. There are voices, linguistic identities, and practices that, despite our best efforts, we may not be able to fully represent or do justice. The desire to encompass and understand it all is tempting but ultimately unproductive. This struggle brings with it a sense of frustration: are we doing enough? Are we truly acting?

This is a question we confront regularly as part of navigating the complexities of today’s media landscape. It is not that there is a lack of action in the world around us, but rather a recognition that, despite the best intentions, inaction persists amidst it all. This tension has shaped our experience, and we felt it necessary to acknowledge it.

Thus, we present to you this special issue, (In)Action, in recognition of these reflections. Our activeness does not lie in the mere delivery of news, opinions, and interviews, but in the stories we publish—stories that provoke more questions than provide answers. Stories that embody NYUAD’s commitment to engaging critically with global issues. In this sense, the activity is not just ours, but yours, too—the reader. Our writers place you at the center of their work, even when it demands much of you, because we seek to immerse you in the journey toward solutions for a better world.

If writing is a performance and The Gazelle is our stage, let it be known that we perform with conviction, regardless of the consequences. This is not the kind of performance driven by the anonymity of social media hatred or the amplification of discourse we neither fully understand nor care about. Instead, it is a performance that extends a hand, inviting you to confront the world's most pressing challenges. Because to perform, after all, is to act.