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Amal Helles

Amal Helles

Safe Haven Fellow

Project title

Gazan Female Journalists (prominent voices in coverage of the war)

Research question

How and why did female Gazan journalists become the most prominent voices in coverage of the war, and how has their gender impacted their journalism?

Project description

Before the war began, many Gazan female journalists – including Amal Helles – were living fairly ordinary lives, working as reporters and taking care of our families. The war changed that. While in Israel, networks and newspapers were sending their foreign correspondents from the US and the UK to report on the ground, western journalists were blocked from entering Gaza. Instead, local journalists – many of them content creators and influencers – stepped in.

Amal: “The work during the war was very difficult. We had to balance being journalists with commitments to our families. I’m a mother, and had to leave my home for long days, leaving my two small children with family in order to work. During my stay at NIAS, I would like to research a project on how and why female journalists in Gaza have become the most prominent voices in coverage of the war. I believe the topic is incredibly relevant, given the ongoing war in Gaza and the lack of information coming from inside the strip. It is also a topic that I understand deeply: it is a life I have lived since the morning of October 7, and long before that as a reporter. “

Selected publications