MEDIA EXECUTIVE · JOURNALISM · FILM
In April 2011, while covering protests in Damascus, I was abducted by the police, detained, tortured, and forcibly disappeared for several weeks. That experience shaped the path of my journalism, making human rights and press freedom central to my work. I'm a Syrian-American media executive. I build journalism institutions, lead cross-border newsrooms, and train journalists working under pressure—across investigative reporting, fact-checking, and documentary film.
Media leadership ties them together—in service of stronger institutions.
I build and lead journalism organizations, shape editorial strategy, and develop cross-border teams around one standard: accuracy in the public interest.
See related work →My reporting follows evidence across borders—from conflict and political power to the systems and decisions that shape people's lives.
See related work →I design verification methods, teach open-source research, and help newsrooms confront misinformation without losing context or humanity.
See related work →Through documentary film, I explore what survives catastrophe: memory, testimony, resilience, and the difficult work of rebuilding.
See related work →THE SIGNAL
WAS INTERRUPTED
In April 2011, I was detained in Damascus after reporting on protests and held at an undisclosed location for more than six weeks. Press-freedom and human-rights organizations called for my release as the story traveled beyond Syria.
I was released on bail on May 30, 2011. It didn't end my work in journalism—it made the stakes of reporting, and the duty to protect those who do it, impossible to ignore.
Public records documenting the arrest, international response, detention, and release.
Organizations and initiatives where leadership became structure, teams, and standards.
A nonprofit strengthening professional journalism through training, mentorship, verification, and newsroom development.
An international company pairing journalists and visual storytellers in conflict zones with serious documentary work.
Founded the Arabic platform—its editorial concept, workflow, and team—and led reporting on Iran and its regional influence.
A regional initiative backing investigative journalism through grants, coaching, fact-checking, and mentorship.
Designed and delivered a culturally grounded fact-checking program in Conakry, combining intensive participant training with a training-of-trainers track built for lasting local impact.
An MBN documentary series following Syrian residents through the war—regular interviews and intimate accounts of daily survival.
Choose a signal on the map to follow training, mentorship, and institution-building across borders.
Designed and delivered a culturally grounded fact-checking program for NDI, including intensive participant training and a training-of-trainers track.
Select a year to follow the path from reporting into media leadership, institution-building, training, and film.
Graduated in journalism and began a professional path across broadcast, radio, print, and digital media.
Reported general assignments, then covered the Syrian uprising and conflict through February 2013.
Detained for more than six weeks after reporting on protests.
Produced reporting across Radio Sawa and Alhurra, including coverage of the United Nations, the U.S. Congress, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Founded an organization dedicated to training, mentorship, verification, investigative journalism, and stronger news institutions.
Created and led the Arabic platform as Editor-in-Chief, managing a cross-border editorial operation of more than 30 people.
Expanded the work into documentary production, connecting field access, journalism, and cinematic storytelling.
Developed and delivered an NDI program addressing misinformation, verification, and local trainer development.
Completed the feature documentary as director, subject, and executive producer.
Completed a master's degree in Journalism and Public Affairs with an investigative journalism focus.
A feature documentary about memory, catastrophe, and resilience—born from a deeply personal search after the 2023 earthquake.
Open-access, in Arabic.
OPEN-ACCESS BOOK · PDF · ARABIC ↗︎A practical Arabic-language guide to writing and editing news with accuracy, structure, context, and professional ethics.
Photography is where I slow down—observing people, places, light, and everyday life.
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