Experienced & versatile journalist, detail-obsessed AI-model trainer, features & science writer, MarComm pro, web content manager, connector | Mercor Intelligence, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Religion News Service/The Washington Post, NPR, NBC News Moscow and Washington, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting in Sarajevo and Kabul, + more...

Journalism (Digital, Print, and Broadcast) 

This is a collection of articles and projects I (Julie Poucher Harbin) worked on as a contributing journalist at National Public Radio 'All Things Considered,' the San Diego Business Journal, the Washington Diplomat, Workforce Management magazine, The Wildlife Journal, Religion News Service [and RNS subscribers: The Washington Post, The (Colorado Springs) Gazette, The Huffington Post, Deseret News, National Catholic Reporter, and Sojourners], ONASA, The Moscow Tribune, and the Trinity University-based The Trinitonian and The Mirage. This collection also includes articles I wrote for Duke Cancer Institute that were featured by oncology trades — The Cancer Letter's Cancer History Project and the ASCO Post, and articles that I wrote for ISLAMiCommentary that were mirrored by the blog Informed Comment, and the World Religion News and The Muslim Observer sites.  Also included in this collection are descriptions of my early TV broadcasting and film production roles.  **NOTE: The articles I wrote for Duke Cancer Institute, Duke-affiliated magazines, and the Duke Islamic Studies Center-based ISLAMiCommentary and TIRN blogs — while most are journalistic in nature — are filed here: https://authory.com/JuliePoucherHarbin/co/Writing-at-Duke

Edited Articles

Included in this collection are many of the 350+ articles (commentaries, news pieces, Q & As) that I (Julie Poucher Harbin) curated, proofread, and copyedited for the ISLAMiCommentary & TIRN blogs. These two websites, with their individual blogs, were the online homes of the Carnegie Corporation of New York-supported Transcultural Islam Project — a multi-year initiative (2012-2016) led by the Duke Islamic Studies Center (DISC) at Duke University in collaboration with the UNC-Chapel Hill Carolina Center for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Civilizations and initially the Oxford (University) Centre for Islamic Studies. I was chief and sole web content manager/managing editor for both of these sites and sole editor of the articles published on the sites. This included pieces written by more than 110 faculty across 17 universities and educational centers, 40 undergrad and graduate students from eight universities, and dozens of articles by think-tank analysts, activists, civil rights advocates, and journalists. The websites/blogs/articles are currently publicly accessible via the Wayback Machine. [ISLAMiCommentary: A Forum for Public Scholarship) : https://web.archive.org/web/20170213210533/https://islamicommentary.org/]    [TIRN (Transcultural Islam Research Network):  A Scholars Forum https://web.archive.org/web/20170201140736/https://tirnscholars.org] NOTE: I have also included a couple of articles I edited for the Institute for War & Peace Reporting 'Afghan Recovery Report.'

Religion News Service

I (Julie Poucher Harbin) worked as a contributing correspondent for Religion News Service from May 2015-July 2016 while still employed by the Duke Islamic Studies Center. In this role I wrote eight articles on U.S. Muslim topics, two of which were part of a Google.org grant-funded series aimed at promoting religious tolerance and combating online hate speech. All articles were published on the RNS website and most were cross-posted by prominent outlets such as The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, National Catholic Reporter, Sojourners, Deseret News, and other RNS subscribers. CITATIONS:  My article ‘Hollywood Reworks Muslim Stereotypes’ was cited in the book ‘Arab Americans in Film: From Hollywood and Egyptian Stereotypes to Self-Representation’ (Syracuse University Press, 2020) and in the CQ Press article ‘Diversity in Hollywood: Are women and minorities treated fairly?’

ISLAMiCommentary & TIRN at Duke/DISC

The ISLAMiCommentary & TIRN websites (with their individual blogs) were the online homes of the Carnegie Corporation of New York-supported Transcultural Islam Project — a multi-year initiative (2012-2016) led by the Duke Islamic Studies Center (DISC) at Duke University in collaboration with the UNC-Chapel Hill Carolina Center for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Civilizations and initially the Oxford (University) Centre for Islamic Studies. From January 2012-July 2016 I (Julie Poucher Harbin) was chief and sole web content manager/managing editor for both of these sites, sole writer & editor of landing page content, chief writer, and sole editor of the articles published on the sites. I also served as a communications & media relations specialist for both the project and DISC, worked as an associate project manager for the project, and led an annual op-ed writing seminar class for Duke and UNC grad students enrolled in the joint Duke-UNC Middle East Graduate Practicum course. For the latter, I edited and workshopped student pieces for publication on the ISLAMiCommentary Blog and with other media outlets (2013-2016). The sites were archived by the university in July 2016). The websites/blogs/articles are currently publicly accessible via the Wayback Machine. [ISLAMiCommentary: A Forum for Public Scholarship) : https://web.archive.org/web/20170213210533/https://islamicommentary.org/]    [TIRN (Transcultural Islam Research Network):  A Scholars Forum https://web.archive.org/web/20170201140736/https://tirnscholars.org] Included in this collection below are many of the 350+ articles (commentaries, news pieces, news compilations, Q & As) that I curated/edited and 150+ that I wrote or co-wrote. There are also links in this collection to original articles and press releases that I contributed to Duke University news (Duke Today) during this time, as well as links to websites inside and outside Duke that either mirrored, cited, or recognized ISLAMiCommentary & TIRN content. This collection also includes screenshots of project social media accounts & analytics AND screenshots of the original ISLAMiCommentary, TIRN, DISC, and UNC Chapel Hill Carolina Center for the Middle East & Muslim Civilization webpages and articles.

Communities

This collection features articles I (Julie Poucher Harbin) edited or wrote for the Duke Islamic Studies Center-based ISLAMiCommentary blog on cultures and communities around the world; posts I wrote for my personal travel blog; articles I wrote for Duke Cancer Institute about marginalized and under-represented communities in the U.S. healthcare system and community health challenges abroad; select articles I wrote for The Washington Diplomat on community concerns overseas; and articles I wrote for the San Diego Business Journal about immigrants and the Mexican maquiladora culture; articles I wrote or edited for IWPR addressing community issues in Afghanistan and Bosnia; select articles I wrote for Religion News Service on U.S. Muslim communities (mirrored in many other publications, inc. The Washington Post); and an article I wrote for The Trinitonian. 

NPR

I (Julie Poucher Harbin) worked for National Public Radio's 'All Things Considered' program from February 2000-July 2000 as a staff editorial assistant & researcher.  In this role, I  conducted extensive research and proposed compelling story ideas covering cultural development and social empowerment in communities across America for the Pew Charitable Trusts-supported Changing Face of America project series under the direction of ‘All Things Considered’ producer Art Silverman. I compiled info sheets and arranged regional NPR-correspondent interviews for this series of stories set in Hinesburg, Vermont (Margot Adler), Austin, Texas (John Burnett), the South Carolina Sea Islands (Vertamae Grosvenor), rural Missouri (John McChesney), and Broward County, Florida (Linda Wertheimer); helping to shape reporting exploring the impact of, and community responses to, technological advances, corporate expansion, and suburban sprawl at the dawn of the new millenium. This included aiding in logistics and facilitating the interview process on location in the South Carolina Sea Islands for a piece by anthropologist/NPR correspondent Vertamae Grosvenor and producer Art Silverman. Below are summaries of radio pieces appearing on various versions of the NPR website. Unfortunately, the links to the audio appear to be broken.

IWPR: The Institute for War & Peace Reporting

This collection includes articles I (Julie Poucher Harbin) wrote for the Institute for War & Peace Reporting 'Balkan Crisis Report' as a reporter & journalism adviser, and articles I edited as a journalism coach & editor for the Institute for War & Peace Reporting 'Afghan Recovery Report' (*marked as 'edited') as well as citations of my IWPR work  IWPR 'BALKAN CRISIS REPORT' | SARAJEVO, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA; ZAGREB, CROATIA; BELGRADE, SERBIA; VIENNA, AUSTRIA | JANUARY 2001 – APRIL 2003 •  I collaborated with local and regional reporters in Bosnia, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Serbia on select investigative pieces — enhancing journalistic capacity and fostering stronger media practices in the region •  I reported on political, media, and social issues during post-civil-war recovery in the Balkans; addressing human trafficking, drug addiction, domestic violence, youth brain drain, media aid & development, United Nations governance, foreign investment in mosques, the role of women and religion in parliamentary elections, and multi-ethnic sport and community healing, and an Olympics bid •  I covered news briefings by international officials from NATO-SFOR, the OSCE, UNHCR, and OHR CITATIONS: Some of my articles were translated and cross-published by Bosnian media and others were cited by media, the United Nations, and European governmental institutions and think-tanks, including ‘Multi-ethnic Football Kicks Off’ (referenced by The Guardian), ‘Bosnia: UN Handover Causes Concern’ (republished by the United Nations Relief Web site), ‘German Media Dominates the Balkans’ (cited by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media report ‘The Impact of Media Concentration on Professional Journalism’) and ‘Thousands of Women Lured into Bosnia Brothels’ (cited in the International Crisis Group report ‘Policing the Police in Bosnia’), and ‘ Investigative Report: Trading in Misery’ (credited for research by the IWPR reporting team) 'AFGHAN RECOVERY REPORT' | KABUL, AFGHANISTAN | JULY 2004 – JANUARY 2005 •  I mentored Afghan trainee journalists on the article writing process — including how to concept a workable story plan, best-practices for sourcing, and tips on U.S./UK-style article structure and tone •  I edited, for publication, the trainees’ articles on critical social issues such as divorce, mental health, sanitation and disease, soldier demobilization and disarmament, women's rights, and refugee concerns NOTABLY: I successfully persuaded a staff of mainly male journalists with little journalism experience, limited English language skills, and no previous experience with a female manager, to learn and embrace an American reporting style that included unbiased, multi-dimensional and interactive reporting  • I convinced a reporter to not only analyze a report about the waste management system in Kabul and conduct the appropriate interviews, but to travel for a day on a Kabul garbage truck to gain first-hand  knowledge to report his story— journalism atypical of Afghan media

International Medical Corps (IMC)

I (Julie Poucher Harbin) worked as a contracted communications officer, writer, and photographer for the International Medical Corps Southern Lebanon Field Office in Tyre, Lebanon from December 2006-April 2007. In this role, I documented U.S. government-supported disaster relief and assistance programs in southern Lebanon following the July 2006 conflict with Israel; writing blog articles and taking photos of IMC's medical, psychosocial, winterization, and water-sanitation programs. I also facilitated local government & media coverage of IMC activities and wrote an article for the Tyre Municipality website, contributing to a broader public understanding of U.S. humanitarian aid efforts in the region.  Here are some of those articles in various formats.

Photography & Videography examples

Within these articles and webpages are some examples of photos and videos I (Julie Poucher Harbin) captured throughout my career. Note that photos without a photo credit, unless otherwise specified, were not taken by me.  The collection includes examples of video interviews I (Julie Poucher Harbin) personally conducted and video I filmed for Duke Cancer Institute as well as video interviews I conducted and videos I co-produced for the Duke Islamic Studies Center-based Transcultural Islam Project ISLAMiCommentary blog. While at the Duke Islamic Studies Center I co-produced the ISLAMiCommentary Field Reports series (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSdIeNHvfGHNRxWVmEUbZv2S-uJu5YXmu) with the Duke John Hope Franklin Center communications director and video editor/producer Catherine Angst Driver. (For some of these videos I was also the interviewer off camera). This collection also includes articles I wrote that feature the video interviews that I produced and conducted. Included as well are some notes about my video production roles at NBC News Moscow Bureau, NBC News Washington Bureau, and WJLA-TV Ch. 7.

Cancer History Project

"Created to mark the 50th anniversary of the National Cancer Act of 1971, the Cancer History Project is a free historical resource that places—in perpetuity—a vast, expertly curated collection of primary sources and authoritative interpretations within easy reach of researchers, medical professionals, students, policy-makers, and patients. The CHP is a new way of preserving history: collaboratively curated by the institutions and people who shaped it. The Project draws on the expertise of an editorial board of physicians, scientists, advocates, and communicators and is operated by The Cancer Letter, the longest-running oncology news publication." I (Julie Poucher Harbin) was responsible for setting up the portal and uploading most of the Duke Cancer Institute content to the portal.

San Diego Business Journal

I (Julie Poucher Harbin) served as a staff reporter, columnist, and photographer for the San Diego Business Journal from Sept. 2003 to June 2004, covering mainly small business trends (including a regular column small business profiles, and articles on franchising, wildfire loss and recovery, and the domestic Hispanic labor market); world trade/international business (including a regular column, the Mexican maquiladora industry/biotech and automaker outsourcing, contracting opportunities abroad, Asian shrimp tariffs); water issues (including water shortages, water reclamation, and desalination), and green business (including recycling as a business advantage). I also wrote executive profiles (2003-2004) and covered large-scale manufacturing, boomer-targeted RV sales, and sports & urban development, among other topics. AWARDS: First Place-Breaking News for ‘A Fiery Week for San Diego’ and third place-political/ government for ‘San Diego’s Trash a Gold Mine for Recyclers’ by the San Diego Press Club • Best Investigative/Enterprise Story or Series for ‘Marching to a New Beat’ (inc. ‘Oceanside Slowly Sheds Its Image as a Military Town’ and ‘Oceanside’s Eastern Edge Sees Major Growth’) by the San Diego chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Between summer 2004 and winter 2006, I freelanced for the San Diego Business Journal:  • While based in Kabul, Afghanistan (August 2004 – March 2005), I wrote a personal reflections piece about life in Afghanistan and reported on entrepreneurs with a personal stake in Afghanistan rebuilding efforts, the business connections between San Diego and Afghanistan, and opportunities for American investment (all accompanied by photos I took).  • While based in San Diego, CA (January 2006), I tracked trends in San Diego’s commercial real estate market (including foreign investment, local job growth, and increased opportunities for property management firms) and also reported on the agriculture industry outlook, including avocado farming.

Duke Public Policy/Political Science

This collection includes articles, including commentaries and feature stories, that I (Julie Poucher Harbin) wrote or edited for the Duke Islamic Studies Center-based ISLAMiCommentary and TIRN blogs and websites connected with political science, public policy, and foreign policy. Featuring prominently here are public policy, political science, foreign policy, religion, sociology, history, and anthropology faculty from Duke University, UNC Chapel Hill, Princeton University, and other universities, as well as thought leaders from the U.S. Government, the Public Religion Research Institute, the Zogby polling company, the Council on American Islamic Relations, the Center for American Progress, the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), and others. The collection also includes related press releases and 'newstips' I wrote that were distributed by the Duke University Communications office to media. I've also included public policy-related articles that I wrote for Religion News Service (mirrored by RNS subscribers including the Washington Post and others) and for Duke Cancer Institute.

The Moscow Tribune

From February 1993 through March 1994 I (Julie Poucher) was a staff reporter and crime columnist for English-language weekly "The Moscow Tribune" (published by Anthony Louis in Moscow, Russia) covering nationalist politics, organized crime, culture, and business. Since this was "pre-internet" all of my clips are newspaper clips, which I am in the process of uploading to this collection. [After the Tribune, I joined the NBC News Moscow bureau as an assignment editor and field producer in March 1994 where I stayed until November 1995] MORE:  •  Using Russian language and journalism skills, I investigated and reported on critical social issues across Russia, the Baltic states, and the Russian Far East for this English-language newspaper, contributing to international and U.S. diplomatic understanding of complex topics such as policing and organized crime, communist vs. nationalist vs. ‘New Russia’ party politics, ecological challenges, and barrier-breaking cultural moments following the collapse of the Soviet Union •  I interviewed Russian Pres. Yeltsin's Chief Ecology Advisor Alexei Yablokov at the Kremlin about national environmental priorities •  I covered the October 1993 coup, including the role of prominent communist and nationalist figures in that coup •  I covered Russia’s first free parliamentary elections • I reported on the first post-Soviet rock concerts featuring U.S. musicians, including Salt-N-Pepa (whom I interviewed in St. Petersburg) and Michael Jackson •  I wrote a series of articles from Khabarovsk on organized crime, debates over Russia separation, and Japanese Red Cross medical aid to orphans, maternity hospitals, and imprisoned mothers • I wrote a weekly crime column about Moscow and the Russian nation •  I collaborated with local journalists (non-native English speakers) to enhance storytelling about the new arts scene in Russia, focusing on Moscow and St. Petersburg *Citations: My election reporting was cited in the East European Quarterly/Summer 1996 piece ‘The Russian Parliamentary Elections of 1993: A Quasi-Historical Interpretation in Light of the 1995 Elections' *Recognition: My weekly crime column and other national and city security articles were widely read by the expatriate community and referenced in U.S. Embassy security briefings. My reporting also attracted the attention of the NBC Moscow bureau.