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:
Refugees often say that war feels like a wave of violence washing over them, leaving behind death and destruction. The feeling was no different for Katra Ali Hethar, who fled war-torn Somalia…
Read MoreChildren’s books with Muslim characters can help open minds, and provide kids with role models that have stories like theirs. Zara is a curious young Muslim girl with curly brown hair whose…
Read MoreThe Moroccan-American author talks about her new novel, in which she gives voice to a wide range of characters, including a racist American. Laila Lalami is never in a hurry to finish…
Read MoreHAMTRAMCK, Michigan — With two boys in maroon soccer jerseys in the back seat of her SUV, Maria Martínez navigates slippery, pot-holed streets past the chain-link fencing of a General Motors assembly…
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