Graduate, journalist Shatha Hammad wins One World Media New Voice Award

Shatha Hammad, a Palestinian journalist and Birzeit University graduate, has won the prestigious One World Media New Voice Award for reporting and presenting ground-breaking and rich reports and features while working at the Middle East Eye (MEE).

Commenting on the award, Hammad said that “It’s a small recognition [that I am accepting on behalf of] the local and young Palestinian journalists who are paying a heavy price to cover the injustice in the region, for decades, without stopping and without tiring.”

Hammad graduated from Birzeit University in 2011 with a bachelor degree in journalism and political science. Currently she is working towards a master’s degree in contemporary Arab studies.

“As a local journalist working in an international media agency, I strive to tell the story of the Palestinian people. I wish to highlight their struggle and resistance while living under the Israeli occupation,” Hammad pointed out. “My journey at Birzeit University has taught me that telling stories from real life and producing ground-breaking reporting can truly affect people and has the potential to create change.”

Hammad was the first to speak to US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib’s grandmother and report the Israeli decision to ban Tlaib from visiting her family home in the West Bank.

With the New Voice Award, One World Media aims to support strong, vibrant and independent media coverage on developing countries to promote justice and create social impact. They jury honored that these aspects are reflected in Hammad’s work. The award recognizes her ability to illuminate political and social issues despite the many obstacles she faces as a Palestinian journalist reporting in occupied Palestine, including being detained and frequently subjected to lengthy investigation at checkpoints as a result of her writing.