New York, October 1, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists is pleased to announce that Danya Hajjaji has joined CPJ as a 2018 Patti Birch fellow for Middle East Research. Hajjaji is the third recipient of the fellowship. The fellowship was established following a generous grant by the Patti and Everett B. Birch Foundation.
During her fellowship, Hajjaji will examine violations of press freedom in the Middle East and North Africa, with a focus on online and digital threats to journalists. Hajjaji will play an important role in CPJ’s ongoing research, reporting, and advocacy in the region.
“We are excited that Danya Hajjaji is joining CPJ as the Patti Birch fellow for Middle East Research, where she will play a vital role in ensuring we address emerging press freedom threats in the Middle East and North Africa,” said Sherif Mansour, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. “Online censorship and surveillance from state and non-state actors are a grave threat to journalists working in the region, and it is important to address these challenges head-on.”
Prior to joining CPJ, Hajjaji held internships at Reuters in Toronto and Agence France-Presse in Washington, D.C. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in media and communications from the University of Sussex.
Generous funding from the Patti and Everett B. Birch Foundation supports 10 CPJ fellowships over five years to honor the legacy of Patti Birch and her lifelong commitment to freedom of speech and press. CPJ’s first and second Patti Birch fellows focused on gender and media freedom.
A full list of CPJ staff is available on our website.
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CPJ is an independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide.
Media contact:
Bebe Santa-Wood
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