Karen Attiah

Karen Attiah

Deputy Digital Editor/Producer at The Washington Post

Location
Washington, District Of Columbia
Industry
International Affairs
Current
  1. The Washington Post,
  2. Freedom House,
  3. Independent Journalist
Previous
  1. The World Bank,
  2. Associated Press,
  3. Sahara Reporters
Education
  1. Columbia University - School of International and Public Affairs
500+ connections

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Summary

I am a writing, communications and social media professional with several years of experience writing on and reporting about international affairs, culture, economics and development with a particular interest in West Africa. My personal and professional interests in story telling have afforded me a variety of experiences which have taken me from writing on Ghana's 2008 presidential elections to covering the Dutch Caribbean as an Associated Press stringer most recently.

My work has appeared in the Huffington Post, the Haitian Times, Voice of America, ABC News, Sahara Reporters, Washington Post, Salon, and the Morningside Post. I have also made television appearances as a guest commentator on Al Jazeera, and MTV Africa, and have given presentations at Yale, Columbia, and Texas A&M.

I frequently work and consult with organizations on strategic content for their corporate social media strategy. I have worked with the World Bank, Sahara Reporters, Reporters Instructed in Saving Colleagues (RISC) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

I have a Master's degree in International Affairs from Columbia Universitiy and a bachelor's degree in Communication Studies from Northwestern University. I am a native of Dallas, Texas, but now reside in Washington D.C..

Experience

  • Deputy Digital Editor/Producer

    The Washington Post
    – Present (1 year 10 months)Washington D.C. Metro Area

  • Freedom of the Press Africa Research Analyst

    Freedom House
    – Present (4 years 4 months)Greater New York City Area

    As a research analyst, I monitor the press freedom enviroments in Ghana, Liberia, and Central Africa Republic along multiple indicators which include changes in the legal environment for media, extrajudicial attacks against journalists, the existence of libel laws, and political control of media houses, to name a few.

    Responsible for drafting and presenting yearly reports and press freedom score recommendations for the annual Freedom of the Press Index.

  • Freelance Writer

    Independent Journalist
    – Present (8 years 3 months)

    My work has appeared in Voice of America, Huffington Post, and America.gov. I write on West African affairs, development, politics and culture.

  • Consultant- Social Media Strategist

    The World Bank
    – (5 months)Washington D.C. Metro Area

    Developing communications strategies for World Bank Africa's social media channels for a joint project with the Africa Region and the Health, Nutrition and Population unit in order to stimulate dialogue around an upcoming report on changing demographics in Africa.

  • Freelance Reporter

    Associated Press
    – (10 months)

    Based in Willemstad, Curacao, I covered a mix of breaking news and feature stories in Curacao and neighboring islands for the Associated Press. Some of my bigger stories include:

    -A multimillion dollar gold heist from Curacao's harbor which lead to an international investigation
    -Curacao's first elections since becoming an autonomous nation
    -The assassination of one of Curacao's foremost political leaders
    -The slow decay Western Hemisphere's oldest Jewish cemetery due to pollution

  • Social Media Manager/Journalist

    Sahara Reporters
    – (4 months)Greater New York City Area

    Reported and wrote for Sahara Reporters, a leading Nigerian anti-corruption online media outlet based in New York. I also managed the content for Sahara Reporters' sizable Facebook and Twitter following, and implemented social media guidelines for Sahara Reporters staff members.

    I was also an on air host and producer for Sahara TV, the web channel for Sahara Reporters. I was responsible for live updates from the show, as well as booking guests and pitching ideas for interviews. I also edited online news content for the Sahara TV website.

  • Part Time Researcher

    Duke University
    – (2 months)

    I conducted interviews of leading entrepreneurs as research for the 2012 report: America's New Immigrant Entrepreneurs, Then and Now"

  • Media Intern

    UNDP
    – (3 months)Greater New York City Area

    I managed UNDP's English Twitter (@UNDP) and Facebook presence from the UNDP headquarters in New York. I also helped to draft social media guidelines for use in UNDP country offices and headquarters. Also assisted with creating social media campaigns to raise audience awareness for issues such as World Water Day, Youth Day, and other efforts in support of the Millennium Development Goals in coordination with other UN agencies.

  • Fulbright Scholar

    Institute of International Education
    – (1 year 9 months)

    From 2008 to 2009, I studied the role and impact of phone in radio programs on Ghana's election process. I investigated how these shows were being used as a forum for public political opinions. I also examined the role of organizations that attempted to implement trainings for journalists ahead of the 2008 elections. Some of my work on serial caller culture was covered in Voice of America.

  • Programs Intern

    The Chicago Council on Global Affairs
    – (8 months)

    Drafted speeches, edited online content, and helped to manage the Council's public events.

  • Intern

    Dallas County Public Defender's Office
    – (4 months)

Skills

Education

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