our purpose
In an era of misinformation and outrage, one of the most fraught relationships is the one between 3.5 million American Muslims and their neighbors. This project is Round Earth Media’s contribution to addressing that tension.
Time and again, the arts and culture have proven to be among the most effective ways of overcoming misunderstanding. Literature, fashion and food have a role, as well as music, drama, comedy, rituals and celebrations. One of the surest ways of putting culture before a broader audience is to share the stories of the thoughtful, energetic people who create it.
Round Earth Media is reaching out across the country in an ambitious two-year effort to dig out underreported stories. We are seeking examples of those who are using culture to put an innovative spin on the American Dream, and those who are shutting out the vitriol to learn more about each other’s lives, culture and traditions. Our aim is to give them the widest possible audience – through publication in mainstream media, both in the United States and in Muslim-majority countries.
Recent Stories:
Satire is often used to educate and broach tough topics. As negative perceptions of Islam persist throughout the U.S., some Muslim women are trying a softer way to build bridges: comedy. It’s…
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Bobby Rogers’s art finds beauty and creativity in unseen communities, from black Muslims to Minneapolis gang members to faces of police brutality protesters. Three years ago on a hot summer day, Philando…
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The market for halal food is expanding rapidly. But where some see opportunity, other see an attempt to reduce religious faith to a marketing buzzword. Sameer Sarmast’s adventurous appetite long ago moved…
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Rahim AlHaj, who has been nominated for Grammys, hopes to draw attention to the experiences of those caught in violent conflict in Iraq and elsewhere. Rahim AlHaj knows about loss. He knows…
Read MoreOur Method
At Round Earth Media, we believe that there is power in good journalism; that there is a hunger for real information extending deep into our growing “news deserts.”
We also believe that, even as the collapse of their traditional model has hollowed out U.S. media organizations, a generation of young journalists is eager for the chance to reinvent that model for the 21st century.
We know the stories haven’t disappeared; it’s just that there often is no one left to tell them.
Our experienced editors prioritize finding knowledgeable young journalists, and then work with them to create vivid stories – in works, in images and in sound – that meet the craft’s highest standards
Meet our people
Mary Stucky
Founder
Mark Porubcansky
Advisor
Regina McCombs
Photo Advisor
Beverley Abel
Advisor
Leda Hartman
Advisor
Hisham Aidi
Advisor
Nesima Aberra
Contributing Writer
Aida Alami
Contributing Writer
Aqilah Allaudeen
Contributing writer
Jana Ašenbrennerová
Photojournalist
Eslah Attar
Photojournalist
Sarah Conway
Contributing writer
Lynnea Domienik
Contributing producer
Melissa Bunni Elian
Photojournalist
Stephen Franklin
Contributing writer
Thomas Franklin
Photojournalist
Hallie Golden
Contributing writer
Otis Gray
Contributing producer
Zahra Hankir
Contributing writer
Pinar Istek
Photojournalist
Megan Kamerick
Contributing producer
Lori King
Photojournalist
Graham Liddell
Contributing Writer
Paul Middlestaedt
Photojournalist
Maryam Mohamed
Contributing producer
Sonia Narang
Contributing writer
Stephanie Russell-Kraft
Contributing writer
Ellen Schmidt
Photojournalist
Areeba Shah
Contributing writer
Sasha-Ann Simons
Contributing producer
Mariam Sobh
Contributing producer
Jovelle Tamayo
Photojournalist
Kimberly Winston
Contributing Writer
Maria Ines Zamudio
Contributing producer
In partnership with
