SENIOR PRODUCER | AJ+

Tell us about AJ+. How is it different from Aljazeera English or Aljazeera America?

AJ+ is a digital only channel. We create content — primarily video — that informs and engages our millennial audience over social networks. I joined in October 2013, about one year before our formal launch, and the startup atmosphere we had then is still palpable today. My colleagues are incredibly committed to what they do every single day. They’re passionate about the world and to ensuring the voiceless get a voice. I’ve worked in several newsrooms, and I don’t think I have seen as much commitment and passion as I have seen here. The channel is built and driven by our diverse newsroom, and I think it really shows in our work. Our content is sassy, sometimes comical, sometimes quirky, and sometimes very serious. 

MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT | THE GROUNDTRUTH PROJECT

This interview with Lauren Bohn was recorded on 22 March, on the evening of the Brussels bombing.

The world can be so sad.

PRODUCER | THE CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING/REVEAL

You studied English at Earlham College in the US...

I actually did my last semester of college in Jerusalem, and after that, I got really interested in Journalism - it didn’t seem like there was any reason to stop. Now, I get a lot of calls from journalists who ask if I went to Graduate school. I think it really works for some people, but, looking at the student loan situation right now, it's really hard for me to recommend that people go to graduate school. Particularly for something like Journalism, which is something you can do just by practicing. 

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ANALYST, JOURNALIST AND COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIST

Tell us about your work for the Nathan Ebanks Foundation. 

I am currently acting as a Social Media Specialist for the Nathan Ebanks Foundation, a Jamaican NGO that works for the participation, inclusion, and empowerment of children with disabilities and special needs, and as a Consultant for the Sustainable Development Goals Crowdfunding Program, an initiative of theIngénieurs Sans Frontières office in Cameroon.

WRITER AND BLOGGER ON INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

What do you do as Political journalism intern for Tremr?

Tremr is a platform for social blogging. It's a community for writers, who write on topics related to politics, culture, philosophy, religion and so on. I write a blog on international affairs - specialising in security, defence and conflict. Most of the time it means that I sit somewhere with my computer and write articles, while worrying about all the topics I need to write about.

EDITORIAL INTERN | NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE NEDERLAND

You recently graduated from King’s College with an MA in Non-Proliferation and International Security. Why did you choose this topic and university and would you recommend it?

I came to King’s after a Liberal Arts and Science bachelor at a University College in the Netherlands. I had already gained a keen interest in subjects like international relations, conflict studies and peace-building. I graduated with a thesis on war journalism, which I analysed from the perspective of peace studies. I wanted to continue in the field of conflict and international relations, but also to move away from the more 'soft' approaches I’d studied in my bachelor: away from peace-building, grassroots perspectives and people, and instead look at war (and war-fighting), strategy and an overall more technical approach, in terms of analysis.

CAIRO CORRESPONDENT | THE TELEGRAPH AND CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR

You’re a freelance journalist based in Cairo. What does that entail?

As a freelance stringer working for the Daily Telegraph and Christian Science Monitor, I keep a tight handle on the news from Egypt. If a story breaks, you need to be on the scene if possible, and in a position to write on it with authority.

FREELANCE JOURNALIST | CBS RADIO, NPR

You are a Brussels-based freelance radio reporter, mainly covering the European Union and NATO. What does that entail?

I cover both the headquarters and institutions of NATO and EU and, to some extent, issues in the allies or member states linked to the organisations. I also keep an eye on other pan-European bodies such as the European Court of Human Rights and the Council of Europe as well as the Hague-based International Criminal Court and International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.    

LEBANON AND SYRIA REPORTER | AFP

What do you do as Middle East correspondent at Agence France-Presse (AFP)?

I’m a reporter at AFP’s Beirut bureau, where we cover Lebanon and the war in neighbouring Syria. My job also occasionally takes me elsewhere in the region. In recent years, I’ve reported from Egypt, Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East. My job covers everything from politics and economics, to features about cultural and academic life, and what we call ‘offbeat’ stories about the lighter side of daily life. I’ve been in the region with AFP for nearly five years, and I’ve been able to write about some of the most momentous events in recent history. It’s a real privilege.

INTERNATIONAL EDITOR | CHANNEL 4 NEWS

What do you do?

I am the International Editor of Channel 4 News.

BROADCAST JOURNALIST | BBC WORLD NEWS

You are a broadcast journalist for BBC World News. What does that entail?

This is quite a wide-ranging role, but essentially I’m preparing material to be broadcast around the world. I have to put together news sequences, write and voice up packages, and arrange for guests to come on our programmes.

FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF THE FULLER PROJECT FOR INTERNATIONAL REPORTING | TURKEY

What do you do as Founder of The Fuller Project for International Journalism?

The Fuller Project is a nonprofit news organization based in Istanbul and founded to address the imbalance in women’s voices in media coverage of conflict, foreign policy and international affairs. 

MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT | DECA STORIES

What do you do as a Middle East correspondent for Deca Stories?

I’m a freelance journalist based in the Arabian Peninsula, covering the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council — Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. I try to balance my work between day-to-day news coverage and longer, more ambitious projects — investigations that I really care about. Most of my work follows politics and society, both of which have evolved enormously since I moved to the region four years ago at the beginning of the Arab Spring.