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I'm an experienced investigative journalist, co-founder of international award-winning independent outlet Mada Masr, and communications strategy consultant helping media outlets, non-profit organizations, and documentary teams with a global focus strengthen their storytelling and audience engagement through research, interview coaching, and media outreach. I'm also a board member of the Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association (AMEJA).

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Over a decade ago, I joined a group of journalists to co-found what is now Egypt's last independent news site, Mada Masr. Our previous outlet, Egypt Independent had been threatened, censored and shut down, so we took matters into our own hands. Today, Mada Masr is an award-winning example of investigative reporting from Egypt and the entire Arab world.


From young activists trying to create a utopian city in Tahrir Square to bakers striking over wages, I tell human stories about systemic and global political issues, making them readable, interesting, and engaging.

 

My print reporting work appears in The Guardian, The Financial Times, Mada Masr, Limes, and Verily. It covers Middle Eastern politics, particularly in Egypt, Libya, Algeria, and other parts of North Africa. I also investigated the deliberate killing of protesters by police in Egypt in 2012 and covered US and European foreign policy and its detrimental regional impact.


I also produce, and fact-check podcasts, and my work has appeared on Kerning Cultures Network, Ted podcasts, Campside Media, Cerdan Stories, and Wondery. I produced and fact-checked stories that shed light on current political issues, such as Sudan, using the perspective of Sudanese-American author Fatin Abbas, or Latvia's experience with the fall of the Soviet Union, or the state of women's rights movements in Mexico through the perspective of Mexican media entrepreneur and journalist, Luisa Ortiz-Perez. I fact-check across mediums, including podcasts, documentaries, books, and academic papers.
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Finally, I'm also a communications strategy consultant for US-based and global non-profit organizations, and companies that work on international issues and causes. I have led campaigns advocating for indigenous rights and climate justice, voting rights, and freedom of speech for organizations such as TIMEPJust Vision (and its partner outlet +972 magazine), 350.org, the Nile Project, and For Our Future.
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Let's work together to ensure your stories are accurate, compelling, and widely seen.

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Work with me

 

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I'm Leyla Doss

I'm a New York City-based communications strategist, journalist and podcast producer. I'm also a co-founder of Mada Masr. 

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