Women Reporters in the MENA Region

New To Conflicts In Middle East? Find Below Select Women Journalists & Experts Covering The Region

The Coalition For Women In Journalism has been vigilantly following the turmoil in Syria, Turkey, Lebanon and the Middle East at large. Our members and colleagues, some of whom are remarkable women journalists and experts on the region, provide us with regular updates. Whether you’re a seasoned expert or new to the crises, we have compiled a list of women journalists and experts you should follow on social media. Editors and newsrooms in need of eyes on the ground may find our list useful as well. Our list includes some of the most dedicated and experienced women journalists covering the region.

Index

  1. Syria
    Reporters & Analysts

  2. Kurdish Issues
    Reporters / Photojournalists on the ground

  3. Kurdish Issues
    Journalists to be contacted for analysis or panels

  4. Turkish - Syria Border
    Reporters / Photojournalists on the ground

  5. Turkish - Syria Border
    Analysts

  6. Turkey
    Journalists on the ground

  7. Turkey
    Analysts

  8. Lebanon
    Foreign correspondents on the ground

  9. Lebanon
    Analysts

 
 

Syria

Reporters and analysts

Alessandria Masi

Managing Editor for Syria Deeply; currently at CNN

Twitter >

Work >

Dareen Khalifa

Senior Syria Analyst, International Crisis Group

Twitter >

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Elizabeth Ferris

Co-director of the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement

Twitter >

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Elizabeth Tsurkov

Fellow, Foreign Policy Research Institute; Admin, Women Know MENA

Twitter >

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Farah Najjar

Journalist/Producer for AJ English with a focus on Palestine & MENA.

Twitter >

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Hannah Allam

Foreign affairs reporter for Washington Post

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Hoda Abdel-Hamid

War correspondent with Al Jazeera

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Hwaida Saad

Covers Syria from Lebanon. for New York Times

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Janine di Giovanni

Newsweek Middle East Editor; Longtime war reporter on conflict; analyst and author.

Twitter >

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Joyce Karam

Washington Correspondent, The National

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Kiran Nazish

Journalist and analyst on Syria, ISIS and Kurdish issues

Twitter >

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Liz Sly

Washington Post’s Beirut bureau chief

Twitter >

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Nussaibah Younis

Founder of Iraq Leadership Fellows Program

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Rania Abouzeid

Independent journalist covering the Middle East, primarily Syria; based in Beirut.

Twitter >

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Robin Wright

Writer for New Yorker; Author of Rock the Casbah and other books on Middle-East.

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Rukmini Callimachi

Correspondent for The New York Times covering ISIS

Twitter >

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Saphora Smith

Foreign reporter for NBC News covering Middle East

Twitter >

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Suzan Haidamous

Washington Post reporter in Beirut

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Zeina Khodr

Senior correspondent, Aljazeera English — Turkey/Syria

Twitter >

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Kurdish Issues

Reporters / Photojournalists on the ground

Frederike Geerdink

Journalist and author in Kurdistan

Twitter >

Work >

Jenan Moussa

Reporter for Dubai’s Al Aan TV

Twitter >

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Kurdish Issues

Journalists to be contacted for analysis or panels

Aylina Kılıç

Reporter focused on Kurdish issues

Twitter >

Work >

Cale Salih

Project manager at the Institute for Integrated transitions, writes on Kurdistan

Twitter >

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Figen Gunes

Reporter with focus on Turkey, Kurdish issues and London

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Louisa Loveluck

Journalist based in Beirut for Washington Post

Twitter >

Work >

Lawen Azad

Former host and producer of ‘Inside Kurdistan Extra’

Twitter >

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Nurcan Baysal

Kurdish author, journalist, human rights defender, columnist

Twitter >

Work >

Ruwayda Mustafah

Author of A Journey to Kurdistan

Twitter >

Work >

 
 
 

Turkish - Syria Border

Reporters / Photojournalists on the ground

Kristina Jovanovski

Canadian journalist based in Turkey. Worked on the Turkish side of the Turkey-Syria border

Twitter >

Work >

Jenan Moussa

Reporter for Dubai’s Al Aan TV

Twitter >

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Julia Hahn

DW’s Turkey Correspondent

Twitter >

Work >

 
 

Turkish - Syria Border

Analysts

Erin Cunningham

Washington Post correspondent in Istanbul, writing about the region

Twitter >

Work >

Karen Young

Resident Scholar @AEI, covering political economy of the Gulf/MENA

Twitter >

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Mona Yacoubian

Conflict analysis and prevention in the Middle East

Twitter >

Work >

 
 

Turkey

Journalists on the ground

Arwa Damon

CNN Senior International Correspondent

Twitter >

Work >

Jane Arraf

NPR international correspondent covering Iraq

Twitter >

Work >

Jenan Moussa

Reporter for Dubai’s Al Aan TV

Twitter >

Work >

Jomana Qaddour

Syrian American lawyer & doctoral student Georgetown University Law Center

Twitter >

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Loveday Morris

Washington Post correspondent

Twitter >

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Alba Cambeiro

Freelance photojournalist from Spain based in Istanbul

Twitter >

Work >

Sara Kayyali

Syria Researcher, Human Rights Watch

Twitter >

Work >

 
 
 

Turkey

Analysts

Alev Scott

Freelance writer, and author of Turkish Awakening

Twitter >

Work >

Amberin Zaman

Columnist at Al-Monitor, and former Turkey Correspondent, The Economist, Wilson Center Public Policy Scholar

Twitter >

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Asli Aydintasbas

Journalist, and Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations

Twitter >

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Ayla Albayrak

Journalist, Wall Street Journal correspondent in Istanbul

Twitter >

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Ayla Jean Yackley

Journalist covering Turkey. CFWIJ member

Twitter >

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Cale Salih

Researcher for The United Nations University’s Centre for Policy Research

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Christy Quirk

Polling specialist, and political strategist based in Istanbul

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Emel Kurma

Helsinki Citizens Assembly, an organization of citizens dedicated to peace, democracy and human rights in Europe

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Emma Sinclair - Webb

Director for Human Rights Watch in Turkey

Twitter >

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Gonul Tol

Director of the Middle East Institute’s Turkish Studies Program

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Hale Akay

Independent researcher

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Humeyra Pamuk

Senior Correspondent, Reuters, and Knight-Bagehot fellow at Columbia Journalism School

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Jennifer Hattam

Freelance journalist based in Istanbul

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Laura Pitel

Financial Times correspondent based in Ankara, Turkey. CFWIJ member

Twitter >

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Nigar Goksel

Turkey Director, International Crisis Group

Twitter >

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Sabiha Senyucel Gundogar

Research director of PODEM Istanbul

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Zeynep Erdim

Bureau Editor, BBC News

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Lebanon

Foreign correspondents on the ground

  1. Zahraa Dirany: Freelance Journalist/ Media Coordinator at the Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering. She tweets here.

  2. Bissan Fakih: Former campaign director The Syria Campaign. Contact email: bissanfakih@gmail.com

  3. Rima Itani: She is the producer of Al Jazeera Instagram account and is based in Doha. You can follow her work here.

Luna Safwan

Reporting for VICE Arabia

Twitter >

Work >

Julie Kebbi

Works for L’Orient-Le Jour. International desk

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Tamara Qiblawi

Digital Middle East producer at CNN

Twitter >

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Alexandra Talty

Writer/Journalist based in Lebanon

Twitter >

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Sarah Dadouch

Washington Post correspondent based in Beirut, Lebanon

Twitter >

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Abby Sewell

Beirut-based features reporter for Daily Star Lebanon

Twitter >

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Zahraa Dirany

Freelance Journalist/ Media Coordinator at the Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering

Twitter >

Work >

Bissan Fakih

Former campaign director The Syria Campaign

Twitter >

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Rima Itani

She is the producer of Al Jazeera Instagram account and is based in Doha

Twitter >

Work >

 
 

Lebanon

Analysts

Andrea Backhaus

Covers Middle East, conflict & migration, and beyond

Twitter >

Work >

Hayat Mirshad

Journalist/Head of Communications & Campaigning at the Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering

Twitter >

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Abeer Saksouk

Architect and urbanist

Twitter >

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Mary Khodari

Feminist & Gender Equality Activist

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Rand Hammoud

Does research and Campaigns on Iraq and Jordan for Amnesty International

Twitter >

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Maha Yahya

Director Carnegie Middle East

Twitter >

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Sulome Anderson

Author and journalist with expertise on Palestine, Lebanon and Hezbollah

Twitter >

Work >

 
 
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