Status Audio Magazine

Dima Issa is a Senior Lecturer of Mass Media and Communication at the University of Balamand in Lebanon. She holds a PhD from the University of Westminster in London, an MSc from the London School of Economics in Global Media and Communications and an MA from the University of Southern California in Global Communications. Her research has primarily focused on Arab diaspora and media consumption, looking at ways in which identity is constructed and reconstructed through space and time. In addition, her interests include gender and representation, popular culture and audience studies, new media and technologies and social networking. Before academia, Dima worked in the corporate sector in media relations, publications and website management as well as in broadcast journalism.

George Eid is a Senior Broadcast Journalist and Executive News Producer. He is an international Multilingual (Arabic, English, French, German, Greek) correspondent, anchor and member of the intl. investigative reporters and editors organization. He holds a master’s degree in marketing media and management from Sorbonne IV in 2014. He was the head of News Operations at MTV Lebanon until November 2020 after having served as deputy editor in chief for 6 years. He was equally a senior correspondent for the channel. Eid is also a university lecturer at Notre Dame University, Saint Joseph University and ALAC leadership academy. His documentary “Kalimera Men Beirut” produced in 2016 has won several European awards. Furthermore, he is a coach and trainer/consultant in communication/media/personal branding and journalism with over 15 years of experience. George Eid is currently based in Dubai and works as a Senior Broadcast Journalist/ Executive News Producer at Al-Arabiya News Channel-Dubai.

Ayman Mhanna is the Executive Director of the Beirut-based Samir Kassir Foundation, the leading freedom of expression and media development NGO in the Levant region. He joined SKF in September 2011. In this capacity, Ayman oversees the Foundation’s monitoring of violations targeting media and culture professionals, advocacy for more liberal legislation, research into the future of the media sector, and training activities to build the capacity of emerging, independent media initiatives. From January 2016 to February 2017, he was also the Executive Director of the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD), a network of 200+ media development and journalism assistance organizations. He previously served as Senior Program Officer for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (2007-2011) working on election observation, electoral reform and civil society involvement in public policymaking.

Ayman holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Saint Joseph University in Beirut and a master’s degree in International Affairs from Sciences Po Paris. He is a member of Friends of Europe’s European Young Leaders program – MENA chapter (class of 2017) and a member of the international Contact Group on Content and Jurisdiction at the Internet Jurisdiction Policy Network for 2019-2022, and a visiting professor at the College of Europe, Natolin - Warsaw, teaching a course entitled “New challenges for media freedom."