Yumna Patel

About

Based in Houston, Texas, I am the Editor in Chief at Mondoweiss, an independent online media publication. We report on Palestine, Israel, U.S. Politics and policy in the Middle East. I was formerly based in Bethlehem, West Bank, working first as a correspondent for Mondoweiss, and then as Palestine News Director for the organization. As correspondent I wrote articles for the website and produced short-form documentaries for social media. My work in Palestine focused on local politics and social issues, and the everyday stories plaguing the Palestinian people that went underreported in mainstream media. As Palestine News Director, I launched Mondoweiss' Palestine Newsroom, and oversaw the hiring and development of correspondents in Gaza and the West Bank. I also launched Mondoweiss' video production team, working with local Palestinian crews and video creators on the ground to produce videos that have reached millions on social media. Prior to my time at Mondoweiss, I worked extensively as a freelance writer and video journalist for international publications and media organizations such as AJ+, Middle East Eye, Al Jazeera, and TRT World, among others. My journalism work in Palestine began when I was a copy editor for the English Desk at Ma'an News Agency, the largest independent Palestinian news organization at the time. As an editor, I tracked breaking news developments and updated news content in real time, while managing social media accounts for the English Desk. I led the English Desk from October 2017 to June 2018, working with translators, the Arabic Desk, field reporters, and the Editor In Chief to drive Ma’an’s coverage in English.