The Jack J. Valenti School of Communication welcomes to campus Felice Friedson is the founder, president and CEO of The Media Line Ltd., an American news agency specializing in coverage of the Middle East.

The multi-media journalist will speak at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 1 in Room 239 in the Valenti Communication Building.

The Media Line was established in 2000 as a primary source of reliable news and information to both the public and private sectors with a strong emphasis on economic coverage from Israel and Palestine. Friedson has interviewed numerous leaders of the Middle East including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, former Palestinian National Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Palestinian National Authority Foreign Affairs Minister Riad Malki, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and former Israeli President Shimon Peres.

In 2005, Friedson established The Mideast Press Club, which has brought more than 200 Israeli and Palestinian journalists together. Felice has been recognized as a leading proponent of press access. In 2010, Felice foresaw the need for an initiative to support and empower Women in Mideast Media – an effort that became enormously important with the onset of the “Arab Spring.”