Sameh Akram Habeeb
Encyclopedia
Sameh Akram Habeeb is a Palestinian
journalist
from the Gaza Strip
. While completing his bachelor's degree in English language
and literature in 2005, he began his journalism career and joined Ramattan News Agency as a reporter and news producer. He has also worked with humanitarian organizations in the Gaza Strip.
In 2007, Habeeb started to intensify his media work as the siege became tougher in Gaza. He launched a blog
, Gaza Today, the Untold Story, late in 2007. Between 2007 and 2008 he published tens of articles, photo stories, and features, and blogged on a daily basis. The same year, he started to take photos in Gaza that only focused on humanitarian conditions. His photos were shown on Sky News
and published internationally. In April 2008, Habeeb conducted a speaking tour across Italy
, lecturing at 25 meetings in universities, colleges and city councils, to speak about the conditions in Gaza.
During the Gaza War in Winter 2009, he was one of few sources of news in Gaza, as Israel
had banned international reporting from inside the strip. He reported for a number of media outlets, including The Real News and INN World Report
and was a contributing reporter for BBC, Sky News, Channel 4
, ABC
, CBC, CNN
, and tens of other media outlets on an hourly basis. Working under terrible conditions during the war, he worked as a field reporter with Netwerk TV of Holland, as well as Vandakh, where he did various reports about the war.
During the 23 days of the War on Gaza, Habeeb sent daily dispatches via his blog
about the war for all media outlets. His reporting put him in focus, which, he reports, led to numerous threats on his life
. PBS
studied Habeeb’s work, and drew a comparison between the Israeli and Palestinian media.
In March 2009, Habeeb left Gaza for the UK, where he founded the first Palestinian newspaper to operate from Gaza, the Palestine Telegraph Newspaper. The Palestine Telegraph exposed many important issues regarding Israeli occupation, including the use of depleted uranium
in Gaza. The newspaper covers Palestinian news on a daily basis.
Habeeb is currently studying for his Masters degree in the UK, and he is a regular guest as a political analyst on Middle East issues on Press TV
, BBC
and others. In 2009 and 2010, he carried out more than 100 workshops, meetings and conferences across the UK
, Holland, Ireland
, Scotland
, France
and Australia
, where he conducted lectures on the media in Palestine and the recent political conditions in Gaza and the West Bank. He has also worked with many European and British Members of Parliament in regard to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
, and has spoken repeatedly at the British Parliament
.
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
from the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
. While completing his bachelor's degree in English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and literature in 2005, he began his journalism career and joined Ramattan News Agency as a reporter and news producer. He has also worked with humanitarian organizations in the Gaza Strip.
In 2007, Habeeb started to intensify his media work as the siege became tougher in Gaza. He launched a blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
, Gaza Today, the Untold Story, late in 2007. Between 2007 and 2008 he published tens of articles, photo stories, and features, and blogged on a daily basis. The same year, he started to take photos in Gaza that only focused on humanitarian conditions. His photos were shown on Sky News
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
and published internationally. In April 2008, Habeeb conducted a speaking tour across Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, lecturing at 25 meetings in universities, colleges and city councils, to speak about the conditions in Gaza.
During the Gaza War in Winter 2009, he was one of few sources of news in Gaza, as Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
had banned international reporting from inside the strip. He reported for a number of media outlets, including The Real News and INN World Report
INN World Report
International News Net World Report Evening News, or INN World Report, is an independent American cable news program which was broadcast by the non-profit, progressive cable station Free Speech TV until 2009. The program is hosted by , a local stage and independent film actress...
and was a contributing reporter for BBC, Sky News, Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, CBC, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, and tens of other media outlets on an hourly basis. Working under terrible conditions during the war, he worked as a field reporter with Netwerk TV of Holland, as well as Vandakh, where he did various reports about the war.
During the 23 days of the War on Gaza, Habeeb sent daily dispatches via his blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
about the war for all media outlets. His reporting put him in focus, which, he reports, led to numerous threats on his life
Death threat
A death threat is a threat of death, often made anonymously, by one person or a group of people to kill another person or groups of people. These threats are usually designed to intimidate victims in order to manipulate their behavior, thus a death threat is a form of coercion...
. PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
studied Habeeb’s work, and drew a comparison between the Israeli and Palestinian media.
In March 2009, Habeeb left Gaza for the UK, where he founded the first Palestinian newspaper to operate from Gaza, the Palestine Telegraph Newspaper. The Palestine Telegraph exposed many important issues regarding Israeli occupation, including the use of depleted uranium
Depleted uranium
Depleted uranium is uranium with a lower content of the fissile isotope U-235 than natural uranium . Uses of DU take advantage of its very high density of 19.1 g/cm3...
in Gaza. The newspaper covers Palestinian news on a daily basis.
Habeeb is currently studying for his Masters degree in the UK, and he is a regular guest as a political analyst on Middle East issues on Press TV
Press TV
Press TV is a 24-hour English language global news network owned by the Iranian government. Its headquarters are located in Tehran, Iran, with bureaux in Beirut , Damascus , London , Seoul and Washington DC ....
, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and others. In 2009 and 2010, he carried out more than 100 workshops, meetings and conferences across the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Holland, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where he conducted lectures on the media in Palestine and the recent political conditions in Gaza and the West Bank. He has also worked with many European and British Members of Parliament in regard to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
, and has spoken repeatedly at the British Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
.