Mohamed Madi (2014) named Dart Center 2022 Ochberg Fellow

Top, L to R: Anna Catherine Brigida, Anuj Chopra, Marissa Evans, Maurice Chammah, Adriana Gallardo; Middle, L to R: Mohamed Madi, Lisette Arévalo Gross, Luke Malone, Alison MacAdam, Carlos Gonzalez; Bottom, L to R: Carolyn Thompson, Jeremy Redmon, Subina Shrestha, Dave Seglins, Charlotte Greenfield

2014 Fellow Mohamed Madi has been named a 2022 Ochberg Fellow at the Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

Mohamed is a senior journalist and filmmaker for BBC News. He has worked across TV, radio and online in over 30 different countries including Libya, Ukraine and Venezuela. His work has shed light on abuse of LGBTQ refugees in Dutch refugee camps, the final hours of the Karzai administration, and the aftermath of the 2019 Langford family massacre in northern Mexico. His most recent documentary, From Kurdistan with Sorrow, explored the impact of the 2021 English Channel migrant disaster. He was also a part of the BBC’s award-winning coverage of the Arab Spring. Mohamed has appeared as a panelist on JST masterclasses and also works with the Media Trust.

Mohamed said: “I am thrilled to have been selected for the 2022 Ochberg Fellowship in NYC and am looking forward to furthering my understanding of trauma as it relates to my work. I have just returned from Ukraine and have witnessed how the conflict has affected contributors and colleagues, experienced and first-timers alike. I look forward to sharing these experiences and hearing from others on the course.

Finally I want to thank the John Schofield Trust and my mentor Mike Kumar for their ongoing support and guidance, and I can’t wait to share what I learn from this fellowship with others in the JST network.”

The Ochberg Fellowships aim to deepen journalists’ knowledge of trauma science and improve their reporting of traumatic events and their aftermath. Mohamed joins other outstanding senior and mid-career journalists on the year-long programme. Fellows work across all media and specialize in covering violence, conflict and tragedy on every scale, from street crime and family violence to natural disasters, war, conflict and genocide.

“This year’s Ochberg Fellows represent the best of a generation of journalists who came of age committed to deep engagement with trauma – and then in the last two years found that commitment tested by pandemic, historical reckonings and war,” said Dart Executive Director Bruce Shapiro. “We are excited to welcome this year’s 15 Fellows to Columbia, joining more than 200 past Fellows who set the global standard for innovative, ethical reporting on violence, crisis and aftermath.”

More on Mohamed and the 2022 Ochberg Fellowship cohort here.