Emily Harris
International Correspondent Emily Harris is based in Jerusalem as part of NPR's Mideast team. Her post covers news related to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip. She began this role in March of 2013.
Over her career, Harris has served in multiple roles within public media. She first joined NPR in 2000, as a general assignment reporter. A prolific reporter often filing two stories a day, Harris covered major stories including 9/11 and its aftermath, including the impact on the airline industry; and the anthrax attacks. She also covered how policies set in Washington are implemented across the country.
In 2002, Harris worked as a Special Correspondent on NOW with Bill Moyer, focusing on investigative storytelling. In 2003 Harris became NPR's Berlin Correspondent, covering Central and Eastern Europe. In that role, she reported regularly from Iraq, leading her to be a key member of the NPR team awarded a 2005 Peabody Award for coverage of the region.
Harris left NPR in December 2007 to become a host for a live daily program, Think Out Loud, on Oregon Public Broadcasting. Under her leadership Harris's team received three back to back Gracie Awards for Outstanding Talk Show, and a share in OPB's 2009 Peabody Award for the series "Hard Times." Harris's other awards include the RIAS Berlin Commission's first-place radio award in 2007 and second-place in 2006. She was a John S. Knight fellow at Stanford University in 2005-2006.
A seasoned reporter, she was asked to help train young journalist through NPR's "Next Generation" program. She also served as editorial director for Journalism Accelerator, a project to bring journalists together to share ideas and experiences; and was a writer-in-residence teaching radio writing to high school students.
One of the aspects of her work that most intrigues her is why people change their minds and what inspires them to do so.
Outside of work, Harris has drafted a screenplay about the Iraq war and for another project is collecting stories about the most difficult parts of parenting.
She has a B.A. in Russian Studies from Yale University.
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White American evangelical Christians have long been key backers of Israel. Now a major Israeli charity is wooing African-American churches for support. There are some political hurdles. -
For decades, two rival West Bank shops have been selling a type of ice cream that stretches like melted mozzarella on a pizza. The secret to the frozen treat is part science, part presentation. -
Around the newsroom and around the world, here's what we're reading this week.
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After a Palestinian prisoner's hunger strike, Israel's parliament passed a law permitting the force-feeding of prisoners to keep them alive, but doctors made it clear they wouldn't participate
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Even in this month's 90-degree heat, ultra-Orthodox Jews stay loyal to their traditional attire: heavy, long skirts for women and dark suits and fedoras for men. Air conditioning helps. -
Israel's highest court temporarily suspended Tuesday the detention of a Palestinian prisoner who had been on a hunger strike for two months.
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After leaving Gaza City in 2008 for Vancouver, the Aloul family is back. War is heavy on their minds, but there are some surprising pros, including a lawn and swimming pool. -
Ora Mor Yosef had a surrogate child via her niece, who underwent the procedure in India and gave birth in Israel. Israeli authorities ruled against Mor Yosef and the baby was placed in foster care. -
At this high school perched on a mountain in Israel, every single senior passed the exams that the principal calls "a ticket ... to better places." Fifteen years ago, only 12 percent passed. -
A dozen photographers were set loose with the aim of seeing an old conflict in a new light. The result is a photo exhibit now showing in Tel Aviv and coming soon to the U.S.
