Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson
Encyclopedia
Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson is an American
journalist. She directs the National Public Radio (NPR) bureau
in Afghanistan
.
College of Journalism and speaks Persian
, Dari, and German in addition to her native English. She has one son with her journalist husband, Erik Nelson.
and reporter at Newsday
in New York. She shared the 1997 Pulitzer Prize
for coverage of the 1996 TWA Flight 800
crash. She subsequently joined the Los Angeles Times
as a reporter, and following the September 11 attacks went on extended assignment in Iran
and Afghanistan.
From 2002 to 2005, she worked as Knight Ridder
's Middle East Bureau Chief. Nelson has also worked for The Orange County Register
covering California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
.
, All Things Considered
, and Weekend Edition
. For her coverage of Afghanistan, Nelson received a Peabody Award
in 2010 for her ongoing coverage of Afghanistan from NPR's permanent bureau in Kabul. She founded the bureau, which was the first permanent presence for a U.S. broadcast network, in 2006.
The award recognized Nelson's efforts over the previous year, which included a series on Afghan citizens turning to drugs to escape everyday miseries and the country's limited ability to offer rehabilitation; the story of determined girls breaking societal taboos and facing dangers to pursue an education; and a detailed account of how U.S. Marines struggle to establish trust with locals in order to combat the Taliban. Peabody judges concluded that "No reporter in any medium gives us a better sense of the variety of life inside Afghanistan." Nelson shared her award with Loren Jenkins, supervising senior foreign editor, and Doug Roberts, foreign desk editor.
In June 2010, Nelson was assigned to cover the Arab World from NPR's Cairo, Egypt, bureau.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist. She directs the National Public Radio (NPR) bureau
News bureau
A News bureau is an office for gathering or distributing news. Similar terms are used for specialized bureaus, often to indicate geographic location or scope of coverage: a ‘Tokyo bureau’ refers to a given news operation's office in Tokyo; foreign bureau is a generic term for a news office set up...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Education and personal life
Nelson was born in the Midwestern United States and received her undergraduate degree from University of Maryland, College ParkUniversity of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
College of Journalism and speaks Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, Dari, and German in addition to her native English. She has one son with her journalist husband, Erik Nelson.
Career
Nelson began her career at the 14,000-circulation daily newspaper in Maryland called the Easton Star Democrat in 1985. After working at other newspapers in New York and Virginia, she served three years as editorEditing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
and reporter at Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
in New York. She shared the 1997 Pulitzer Prize
1997 Pulitzer Prize
-Journalism awards:-Letters, Drama and Music Awards:* Biography or Autobiography:**Angela's Ashes: A Memoir by Frank McCourt * Fiction:**Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer by Steven Millhauser * History:...
for coverage of the 1996 TWA Flight 800
TWA Flight 800
Trans World Airlines Flight 800 , a Boeing 747-131, exploded and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York, on July 17, 1996, at about 20:31 EDT, 12 minutes after takeoff, killing all 230 persons on board. At the time, it was the second-deadliest U.S...
crash. She subsequently joined the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
as a reporter, and following the September 11 attacks went on extended assignment in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and Afghanistan.
From 2002 to 2005, she worked as Knight Ridder
Knight Ridder
Knight Ridder was an American media company, specializing in newspaper and Internet publishing. Until it was bought by The McClatchy Company on June 27, 2006, it was the second-largest newspaper publisher in the United States, with 32 daily newspapers sold.- History :The corporate ancestors of...
's Middle East Bureau Chief. Nelson has also worked for The Orange County Register
The Orange County Register
The Orange County Register is a daily newspaper published in Santa Ana, California. The Register is the flagship publication of Freedom Communications, Inc., which publishes 28 daily newspapers, 23 weekly newspapers, Coast magazine, and several related Internet sites.The Register is notable for its...
covering California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
.
NPR
Nelson joined NPR in 2006, after more than twenty years as a newspaper reporter. She is the bureau chief for NPR's Afghanistan bureau. Her reports are featured on several NPR programs, including Morning EditionMorning Edition
Morning Edition is an American radio news program produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It airs weekday mornings and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 05:00 to 09:00 ET, with feeds and updates as required until noon...
, All Things Considered
All Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
, and Weekend Edition
Weekend Edition
Weekend Edition is the name given to a set of American radio news magazines produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It is the weekend counterpart to Morning Edition. It consists of Weekend Edition Saturday and Weekend Edition Sunday , each of which airs for two hours, from 8 a.m. to 10...
. For her coverage of Afghanistan, Nelson received a Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
in 2010 for her ongoing coverage of Afghanistan from NPR's permanent bureau in Kabul. She founded the bureau, which was the first permanent presence for a U.S. broadcast network, in 2006.
The award recognized Nelson's efforts over the previous year, which included a series on Afghan citizens turning to drugs to escape everyday miseries and the country's limited ability to offer rehabilitation; the story of determined girls breaking societal taboos and facing dangers to pursue an education; and a detailed account of how U.S. Marines struggle to establish trust with locals in order to combat the Taliban. Peabody judges concluded that "No reporter in any medium gives us a better sense of the variety of life inside Afghanistan." Nelson shared her award with Loren Jenkins, supervising senior foreign editor, and Doug Roberts, foreign desk editor.
In June 2010, Nelson was assigned to cover the Arab World from NPR's Cairo, Egypt, bureau.