Biography
Lina Chawaf is a journalist, media consultant, and human rights advocate with more than three decades of experience amplifying the voices of marginalized communities, particularly women, across the Middle East. Since beginning her career in 1992, she has worked across television, radio, and print media, creating hundreds of TV commercials, producing content for UNICEF, and writing for outlets such as Baladna (Syria), Almoustakbal (Canada), Shabablek and Sabaya (Syria), as well as contributing commentary to international publications including The Washington Post, The Globe & Mail, and The Boston Globe.
She has played a leading role in building independent media in the MENA region, co-founding Arabesque Radio in Syria and later establishing Rozana Radio in Paris, now operating across France, Turkey, and Syria. As a media consultant with International Media Support (IMS), she helped launch radio stations in conflict-affected countries such as Libya and Yemen, while training thousands of Arab journalists and coaching media leaders under highly restrictive conditions.
Lina’s advocacy centers on freedom of expression, women’s rights, and community-driven media development. She has spoken at numerous international conferences and workshops, served as President of the Community Media Forum Europe (CMFE), and collaborated with global institutions including UNESCO, UNICEF, and the EU. In 2018, she was awarded the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Award for her courageous defense of press freedom.
In addition to her fieldwork, Lina has taught journalism at the Ecole Supérieure de Journalisme (ESJ) in Paris. She is currently a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University (2024–2025). Now she is doing her research focusing on female media leadership in conflict contexts with CMES at Harvard, alongside writing a draft of her memoir documenting her personal and professional journey.
She has played a leading role in building independent media in the MENA region, co-founding Arabesque Radio in Syria and later establishing Rozana Radio in Paris, now operating across France, Turkey, and Syria. As a media consultant with International Media Support (IMS), she helped launch radio stations in conflict-affected countries such as Libya and Yemen, while training thousands of Arab journalists and coaching media leaders under highly restrictive conditions.
Lina’s advocacy centers on freedom of expression, women’s rights, and community-driven media development. She has spoken at numerous international conferences and workshops, served as President of the Community Media Forum Europe (CMFE), and collaborated with global institutions including UNESCO, UNICEF, and the EU. In 2018, she was awarded the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Award for her courageous defense of press freedom.
In addition to her fieldwork, Lina has taught journalism at the Ecole Supérieure de Journalisme (ESJ) in Paris. She is currently a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University (2024–2025). Now she is doing her research focusing on female media leadership in conflict contexts with CMES at Harvard, alongside writing a draft of her memoir documenting her personal and professional journey.