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Dr Zahera Harb

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School of Communication & Creativity Department of Journalism

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About

Overview

Dr Zahera Harb is Director of Journalism Postgraduate Studies at City St George’s, University of London. She has published widely on Journalism and Politics in the Arab countries. Her book publications include a forthcoming book on Cultures of Journalism in Egypt and Lebanon: Values, Ethics and Hate Speech (Palgrave) and an edited collection titled Reporting the Middle East: The Practice of News in the 21st Century (IB Tauris 2017). She is co-editor of Middle East Journal of Culture and Communication and former associate editor of Journalism Practice.  She is currently chair of Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ) board of directors, and trustee of Marie Colvin Journalists’ Network. She also sits on the board of the UK Press Recognition Panel (PRP). Zahera previously served as member to the UK broadcast regulator Ofcom content board, board member-trustee of the Ethical Journalism Network and board member-trustee of Dart Centre Europe for Journalism and Trauma. Before moving to the UK, Zahera worked, for over a decade, as a broadcast Journalist in her native country Lebanon, for local and International news organisations.

 She contributes to Aljazeera English opinion section and other Arab publications including 180 Post (Arab Current Affairs Magazine). 

Dr Harb was trained in Holland and the UK and has a BA in Journalism from the Lebanese University, a Diploma in Broadcasting News and an MA and PhD in Journalism Studies and Political Communications from Cardiff University.

She has worked as media consultant with Thomson Foundation UK since 2007. She conducted media and journalism training in the UK and other parts of the world including Egypt, Malta, Spain, Armenia, Ukraine, Brussels, Kuwait, Lebanon, Tunisia, Portugal, Jordan and UAE. She has led workshops with senior Journalists from across the Caribbean and Asia Pacific in collaboration with Public Media Alliance and Ethical Journalism Network. She has also done media consultancy work for International Media Support (IMS), UN Women (Libya) International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ) and International Labour Organisation (ILO). 

Dr Harb has been commended by City University London Vice Chancellor's Awards 2014 in recognition of Excellence in International Engagement.

She was finalist for UK Asian Women of Achievement 2018 Award.

She was named Stanford University Humanities Centre International Fellow for 2014.

An interview with Arab media scholar Zahera Harb, Stanford Humanities Center

Qualifications

  • PhD, Cardiff University, United Kingdom, 2008
  • MA, Cardiff University, United Kingdom, 2000
  • Diploma in Broadcasting News, Thomson Foundation/Cardiff School of Journalism, United Kingdom, June - September 1996
  • Broadcast News Skills, BBC/Radio Nederlands, Netherlands, June - July 1995
  • BA, Lebanese University, Lebanon, 1993

Postgraduate training

  • PCHE-15 credits, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom, September 2010
  • Small group teaching/leading Seminars, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom, September 2002

Employment

  • Lecturer, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, October 2007 - October 2011
  • Researcher, Cardiff University, United Kingdom, May 2005 - May 2006
  • Associate Tutor, Cardiff University, United Kingdom, January 2005 - June 2007

Languages

Arabic (can read, write, speak, understand spoken, peer review) and English (can read, write, speak, understand spoken, peer review)

Expertise

Geographic Areas

  • Middle East

Teaching

External Examining

University of Wales validated course at Modern University for Technology and Information (MTI), Cairo, Egypt
BSc (Hons) in Mass Communication (with pathways in Journalism, Public Relations & Advertising and Radio & TV Broadcasting)

Present- Swansea University
MA Comparative Journalism
MA Journalism Media and Globalisation

2011-2015 New College Nottingham (degree validated by Nottingham Trent University)
BA in Digital Media
Foundation degree in Broadcast Media

2013- External verifier MA Comparative Journalism- Swansea University.

Modules taught at City University London

MAIJ Broadcast pathway leader
Convenor of
Global Journalism
Journalism and Conflict
Dissertation Module
Broadcast Journalism
Reporting the Middle East

Modules taught at Nottingham University

Writing for the Media
Global Media and Communication
Reporting the Middle East
Political Communication, PR and Propaganda
Middle East and the Media

Modules taught at Cardiff University

Reporting the Middle East
Production of News research studies workshops

Modules taught at Swansea University

Reporting the Middle East

Guest Lecturer

School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London
Cardiff School of Journalism
Swansea University Media Department
De Montfort University Media Department
University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus

Research

Dr Harb research interests include Journalism cultures, war reporting, mediating conflict, representation of ethnic minorities, Journalism ethics, Citizen Jouranlism and social media and politics.

Dr Harb has taken part in three main research projects since 2002: the perception of news after September 11, the embedded reporting of the 2003 Iraq war, and immigration and inclusion in south east Wales in 2008.

Research students

Aurora Herrera

Attendance: October 2016 - present

Thesis title: Defamation law in Trinidad and Tobago and its affects on journalism practices

Role: 1st Supervisor

Further information: PhD candidate

Aleksandra Raspopina

Attendance: October 2016 - present

Thesis title: RT: A Russian Viewpiont

Role: 1st Supervisor

Further information: PhD Candidate

Aljosha Karim Schapals

Thesis title: Sourcing Practices & Verification Challenges: A case study on journalistic decision-making processes by UK journalists during the 2011 Egyptian revolution

Role: 1st Supervisor

Further information: PhD

Birce Bora

Thesis title: Representation of Turkey in the British Print Media: To Be or not To Be European.

Role: 1st Supervisor

Further information: PhD

Taner Dogan

Thesis title: Communication Startegies of the AK Party in Turkey

Role: 1st Supervisor

Further information: PhD candidate

Publications

Publications by category

Books (4)

  • Harb, Z. (2017). Reporting the Middle East: The Practice of News in the Twenty-First Century. Harb, Z. (Ed.), London: IB Tauris.
  • Matar, D. and Harb, Z. (Eds.), (2013). Narrating Conflict in the Middle East. London: I.B.Tauris. ISBN 9781780761039.
  • Matar, D. and Harb, Z. (Eds.), (2013). Narrating Conflict in the Middle East. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 9781780761022.
  • Harb, Z. (2011). Channels of Resistance in Lebanon. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 9781848851207.

Chapters (17)

  • Harb, Z. (2025). Hate Speech as Political Communication in Lebanon. Reframing Political Communication and Media Practices in the Middle East and North Africa London: Bloomsbuty I.B.Tauris. ISBN 9780755653812.
  • Harb, Z. (2024). Lebanon. (pp. 360-369). Wiley. ISBN 9781394196241.
  • Harb, Z. (2023). Journalists as messengers of hate speech: The case of Lebanon. In Strippel, C., Paasch-Colberg, S., Emmer, M. and Trebbe, J. (Eds.), Challenges and perspectives of hate speech research (pp. 45-53). Berlin: GESIS - Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften. ISBN 9783945681121.
  • Harb, Z. (2019). Covering Regional Conflicts in Arab News: Political Loyalties and Hate Speech. In Kelly, M., Footitt, H. and Salama-Carr, M. (Eds.), The Palgrave Handbook of Languages and Conflict Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9783030048242.
  • In Iqani, M. and Resende, F. (Eds.), (2019). Media and the Global South. In Routledge India.
  • Harb, Z. (2019). After the Arab Revolts: social media and the journalist in Egypt. In Price, S. (Ed.), Journalism, Power and Investigation Global and Activist Perspectives London: Routledge. ISBN 9781138743090.
  • Harb, Z. (2017). Reporting the Middle East, the Arab world and Islam. Reporting the Middle East, the Practice of News in the twenty-First Century (pp. 1-11). London: IB Tauris.
  • Harb, Z. (2017). Reporting Lebanon: Orientalism as News Practice. Reporting the Middle East, the Practice of News in the Twenty-First Century (pp. 69-86). London: IB Tauris.
  • Harb, Z. (2017). Reporting the Middle East, the Arab World and Islam Introduction. REPORTING THE MIDDLE EAST: THE PRACTICE OF NEWS IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY (pp. 1-11). ISBN 9781784532727.
  • Harb, Z. (2016). Hezbollah, Al-Manar, and the Arab Revolts. Bullets and Bulletins (pp. 165-178). Oxford University Press.
  • Harb, Z. (2015). Al Manar and Hezbollah: Creative instances in Propaganda Warefare. In Hamdar, A. and Moore, L. (Eds.), Islamism and Cultural Expression in the Arab World (pp. 189-205). Routledge. ISBN 041552184X.
  • Harb, Z. (2015). Antoine Choueiri: 'President' of Arab Advertising. Arab Media Moguls London: IB Tauris. ISBN 9781780767321.
  • Harb, Z. (2013). Mediating Internal Conflict in Lebanon and its Ethical Boundaries. In Matar, D. and Harb, Z. (Eds.), Narrating Conflict in the Middle East: Discourse, Image and Communication Practices in Lebanon and Palestine (pp. 38-57). London: IB Tauris.
  • Harb, Z. (2013). MEDIATING INTERNAL CONFLICT IN LEBANON AND ITS ETHICAL BOUNDARIES. Narrating Conflict in the Middle East Discourse Image and Communications Practices in Lebanon and Palestine (pp. 18-57).
  • Matar, D. and Harb, Z. (2013). APPROACHES TO NARRATING CONFLICT IN PALESTINE AND LEBANON: PRACTICES, DISCOURSES AND MEMORIES. Narrating Conflict in the Middle East Discourse Image and Communications Practices in Lebanon and Palestine (pp. 1-14).
  • Harb, Z. (2012). Zahera Harb. No Woman’s Land: on the Frontlines with Female Reporters London, UK: International News Safety Institute.
  • Harb, Z. (2009). "Grapes of Unity facing Grapes of Wrath": Objectivity and War Reporting. The Middle East in the Media: Conflicts, Censorship and Public Opinion London, UK: Saqi. ISBN 9780863566585.

Journal articles (17)

Reports (2)

  • Threadgold, T., Clifford, S., Harb, Z., Arwo, A., Powell, V., Jiang, X.... Jewell, J. (2008). Immigration and inclusion in south-east Wales. YPS York Publishing Services.
  • Harb, Z. (2004). Too Close for Comfort? The Role of Embedded Reporting During the 2003 Iraq War. British Broadcasting Corporation.

Professional activities

Editorial activity (6)

  • An internationally renowned and high ranking academic journal in the field of journalism practice., Associate Editor, Journalism Practice, January 2018 - present.
  • Review editor of Journal of Media Practice.
  • Member of Middle East Journal of Culture and Communication editorial board.
  • Member of JOMEC Online Journal editorial Board.
  • Member of Journal of Media Practice editorial board.
  • Journalism, theory, practice and criticism Journal, Member of editorial board.

Media appearances (11)

  • Online is the new frontline for Syrian fighters/Channel 4 news. http://www.channel4.com/news/syria-youtube-jihad-weapons-videos-rebels-war-assad
  • An interview with Arab media scholar Zahera Harb. Stanford University Humanities Centre youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiNVhqhhylM
  • Arab Media in discussion with Dr Zahera Harb/ anb channel. In Arabic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQy6m9wOdhI
  • BBC Arabic Freedom Day. In Arabic http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=88fwSviYtKg&app=desktop
  • BBC Arabic contributor Seven Days press review weekly program.
  • A war of words: Iraq ten years on. A war of words: Iraq ten years on Dr Zahera Harb examines the language and rhetoric of the Iraq war for the BBC World Service. http://www.city.ac.uk/news/2013/mar/a-war-of-words-iraq-ten-years-on Arab media expert
  • Access Middle East: Part One- New Media/ CNBC Channel. CNBC Channel http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000128736#.
  • Arabology program interview with Dr Zahera Harb. KZSU Stanford 90.1FM https://soundcloud.com/arabology/interview-with-dr-zahera-harb
  • Al Jazeera English/ The Listening Post Program. http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/listeningpost/2015/01/reaction-charlie-hebdo-attack-20151109475501508.html
  • Women on the Front/ The Al-Majalah magazine. http://www.majalla.com/eng/2012/03/article55230145
  • Has the notion of Media as Fourth Estate collapsed? Hosted by anb (pan Arab TV channel) A'lamat Istifham (Question Marks) weekly show (In Arabic). You can watch it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCgEyQLDH3E

Online articles (4)

Other (8)

  • Reviewer for these journals and Academic publishers Palgrave Arab Studies center Feminist Media Studies Journal Journalism Practice Journal Journal of Media Practice International Journal of Media and Culture Politics Journal of Children and Media Middle East Journal of Culture and Communication The international Journal of Press/Politics Media War and Conflict Digital Journalism Journalism Practice Journalism Studies .
  • Review Editor of Journal of Media Practice .
  • Regular contributor on media analysis for Assafir newspaper in Lebanon .
  • Ofcom Content board member .
  • Ethical Journalism Network Trustee/board member .
  • Marie Colvin Journalists' Network steering group member .
  • Chair of Women on the Move Media Award championing coverage of Refugee women and their struggles .
  • Member of the Jury Royal Television Society Journalism Award .