Speakers
The Honorable Chris Van Hollen
U.S. Senator from Maryland
Lina Abu Akleh
Palestinian 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 Israeli military’s killing of acclaimed Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied West Bank, and in light of the recent unprecedented number of Palestinian journalists killed by the Israeli military during its Gaza campaign, this symposium will focus on the challenges of covering Palestine. The panels will focus on both the journalists at risk on the ground as well as assessments of Western media coverage of Palestine, and particularly the war on Gaza.
Agenda
Welcoming Remarks
Panel I – Coverage of the War on Gaza: What the Western 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 this panel of journalists with extensive 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 The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs
Lunch Keynote Conversation
Ayman Mohyeldin, Host of the “Ayman” show on MSNBC
Yousef Munayyer, Head of Palestine/Israel Program, Arab Center Washington DC
Panel II – 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 accountability for her death is still absent, and the norms against the targeting of journalists continued to weaken. What are Palestinian journalists facing as they try to communicate their stories to the world? What has happened to journalists on the ground? 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 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
