Covering Palestine: A Shireen Abu Akleh Memorial Symposium

Speakers

The Honorable Chris Van Hollen

U.S. Senator from Maryland

Lina Abu Akleh

Palestinian Armenian human rights advocate; Shireen Abu Akleh's niece

Akbar Shahid Ahmed

Senior Diplomatic Correspondent for The Huffington Post

Laila Al-Arian

Washington DC-based journalist and the Executive Producer of "Fault Lines" on Al Jazeera

Karen Attiah

Columnist for The Washington Post

Mona Chalabi

British data journalist, illustrator, and writer; Data Editor at The Guardian US

Sherif Mansour

Egyptian-American democracy and human rights advocate

Eman Mohamed

Photojournalist from Gaza

Ayman Mohyeldin

Host of the "Ayman" show on MSNBC

Moderator

Rhana Natour

Award-winning journalist and host

Will Youmans

Associate Professor, George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs

About the Conference

Two years after the killing of acclaimed Palestinian-American Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by the Israeli military in the occupied West Bank and as an unprecedented number of Palestinian journalists have been killed by the Israeli military during its campaign in Gaza, this symposium will focus on the challenges of covering Palestine. The panels in this conference will focus on both the journalists at risk on the ground as well as an assessment of Western media coverage of Palestine and, in particular, the war on Gaza.

Agenda


9:00 AM – Registration and Breakfast


10:00 AM – Welcoming Remarks


10:15 AM – Opening Message from Senator Chris Van Hollen


10:30 AM – Coverage of the War on Gaza: What the Media gets right and wrong

How can we assess western media coverage of Palestine, and specifically the war on Gaza? What unique challenges do journalists face when trying to cover these issues? How does coverage of Palestine differ from coverage of other issues? What have been the strongest and weakest moments in western media coverage during the war on Gaza? Join us and this panel of journalists with deep experience and insights for a conversation that takes you behind the scenes in the process of reporting on and covering Palestine.

Speakers:
Akbar Shahid Ahmad, Senior Diplomatic Correspondent for The Huffington Post
Laila Al-Arian, Executive producer of “Fault Lines” on Al Jazeera
Mona Chalabi, British data journalist, illustrator, and writer; Data Editor for The Guardian US

Moderator:
Will Youmans, Associate Professor at George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs


12:00 PM – Lunch Keynote Conversation

Ayman Mohyeldin, Host of the “Ayman” show on MSNBC
Yousef Munayyer, Head of Palestine/Israel Program, Arab Center Washington DC


1:00 PM – Journalism Under Fire: Risking it All to Tell the Story

No war has seen so many journalists killed so quickly as the Israeli war on Gaza. Two years ago Shireen Abu Akleh’s killing was condemned around the world yet with accountability for her killing still absent the norms against the targeting of journalists continued to weaken. The killing of scores of Palestinian journalists which followed in Gaza only underscores this point. What are Palestinian journalists facing as they try to communicate their stories to the world? What has happened to journalists on the ground and who is speaking up for them? What stands in the way of accountability for the killings of journalists and how can it be overcome? This conversation will seek to address these questions.

Speakers:
Lina Abu Akleh, Palestinian Armenian human rights advocate; Shireen Abu Akleh’s niece
Karen Attiah, Columnist for the Washington Post
Sherif Mansour, Egyptian American democracy and human rights advocate
Eman Mohamed, Photojournalist from Gaza

Moderator:
Rhana Natour, Award-winning journalist and host


2:30 PM – Adjournment


Location

National Press Club, 529 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20045

Date

Thursday May 9, 2024

Time

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM ET