PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Experienced and versatile journalist, able to research and write clearly and elegantly about complex topics. Strong knowledge of the Middle East region, particularly the Levant, and high level of spoken and written Levantine Arabic.
WORK HISTORY
L’Orient Today
Features editor and reporter, October 2020 – present
- Member of the founding team of L’Orient Today, the English-language site of Lebanon’s legacy French-language newspaper, L’Orient le Jour.
- Covered breaking news alongside reporting in-depth features, investigation and analysis pieces.
- Performed desk editing duties and worked with reporters to develop feature stories.
The Daily Star (Lebanon)
Features reporter, July 2018 – Dec 2019
- Covered features and breaking news for Lebanon’s primary English-language daily newspaper, reporting on a wide range of political, economic and social issues, with a focus on the lives of Syrian and Palestinian refugees and associated government policies.
- Invited speaker at 2018 United Nations International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East, presented on panel regarding covering Palestinian refugees’ stories.
Freelance reporter and editor, Lebanon-based, October 2016 – present
- Reported on regional stories including the Syrian conflict, refugees, development and international aid, Lebanese politics and elections, travel and culture.
- Published work appeared in outlets including Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, U.S. News & World Report, Foreign Policy, Public Radio International, The New Humanitarian Refugees Deeply, Syria Deeply, Middle East Eye, GOOD Magazine.
- Contract copyeditor on a number of reports, grant proposals and other documents covering issues related to energy in the Middle East for Energy Policy and Security Program, American University of Beirut.
- Editor, “Stories of a World Banker,” memoir of former World Bank official Jamal Saghir.
Los Angeles Times
Metro reporter, June 2010 – September 2016
- Part of the team covering corruption in the city of Bell, which won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service and part of Pulitzer finalist breaking news team covering 2014 Isla Vista shooting rampage.
- Reported on national and international news, including from Israel and Palestine.
- Delved into complex social issues, including the failures of the mental health system, and the treatment of jail inmates and children in the juvenile justice system.
Desert Dispatch (Barstow, CA)
Reporter and photographer, March 2008 – June 2009
- While producing multiple daily stories on deadline, reported enterprise pieces on substandard housing and children growing up with drug-addicted parents.
- Shot and edited video to accompany stories.
Molalla Pioneer (Molalla, OR)
Reporter and photographer, October 2006 – February 2008
- Produced a mix of beat reporting and enterprise stories.
- Helped to launch the paper’s first news blog.
Back to Back Café (Portland, OR)
Co-owner
- With partners, ran a small restaurant business
- Involved in all aspects of operations, including ordering, marketing, permits and compliance, bookkeeping, customer service.
EDUCATION
Master of Arts: Journalism, 2010
Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism; Chicago, IL
- Recipient of 2010 Harrington Award for reporting, the highest honor given to Medill graduate students.
Bachelor of Arts: Political Science, 2004
Reed College; Portland, OR
- Completed a senior thesis on social movements in Brazil and the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas, with field research in Sao Paulo.
OTHER SKILLS
Languages: native English speaker, fluent in Arabic (Levantine dialect), conversational Spanish
Computer skills: Microsoft Excel and Access, Adobe Photoshop, basic video and audio editing
References available upon request