Rita Baroud is a Palestinian journalist from Gaza who has been reporting on the humanitarian and political situation since the war in Gaza began in October 2023. Her work has been published in European and international media. At Maastricht University, she will speak about her personal and professional experience during the war and the crucial role of journalism in conveying the truth from Gaza to the world.

As a Safe Haven Fellow, journalist and writer Rita Baroud explores the emerging genre of citizen journalism and literary testimony during the ongoing siege in Gaza. With international journalists barred from entering and local media severely targeted, civilians have taken on the role of frontline reporters. Baroud’s project investigates how this form of reporting—shaped by personal experience and immediate danger—redefines traditional journalistic standards of distance and objectivity.