ARD & RTL (German Broadcasting): Rapid Research for 2022 Iran Uprising Coverage

This work required triage instincts and ethical judgment. Each day, I would receive a flood of raw information (some factual, some rumour) and had to quickly structure it into a coherent narrative for a general audience. I leveraged my research background to vet details, including verifying locations of protests through satellite imagery, comparing medical reports to official statements during crackdowns, and corroborating individual testimonies with NGO reports. In collaboration with the TV producers, I helped turn this verified data into three broadcast-ready news segments, providing context and fact-checked details on the unfolding events.

My contribution ensured that the coverage was both timely and accurate, despite the chaotic flow of information out of Iran at the time. It also illustrated Navid Yousefian’s adaptability as a researcher (able to pivot from academic and policy work to a journalism environment) without missing a beat. I applied the same principles of rigorous verification and human-centric storytelling, demonstrating that solid research fundamentals are invaluable whether informing product design or international news.