ABOUT ME
...writer...grower...builder....
Melanie Lidman is an award-winning journalist, community activist, chicken raiser, and farmer. Previously, she worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Tel Aviv. She also focused on environment, migration and social affairs for the Times of Israel while also serving as Middle East/Africa coordinator for Global Sisters Report, a news website about Catholic sisters.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Spanish
University of Maryland, 2008
CIVICUS Citation for Civil Society and Leadership
Associate’s Degree in Horticulture Therapy
Seminar Hakibbutzim, Tel Aviv, 2018
Fluent in Spanish and Hebrew
JOURNALISM WORK
2022
UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES
SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT
Wrote articles and updated website, networked with civil society organizations, activists, and media during Ukrainian refugee crisis, began building social media plan
2014, 2021
OLYMPIC INFORMATION SERVICE
SPORTS REPORTER
Interviewed athletes directly after competition for flash quotes and news stories for internal Olympic news service, including diving, archery, sport climbing, and sitting volleyball at Tokyo2020 Olympics and Paralympics. Covered snowboarding, main press center, and wheelchair curling at Sochi2014
2020-2021
O2AA ECO-INDUSTRIAL YARD
FARM MANAGER
Managed small urban farm in Oakland, CA, including 30-member CSA (weekly vegetable subscription) and plant starts nursery, founded both initiatives during pandemic in order to provide more healthy, affordable food in the surrounding neighborhood
2014 – 2019
TIMES OF ISRAEL
ENVIRONMENT, RELIGION, AND MIGRATION REPORTER
Investigating and writing long-form features related to environment, religion, migration, social affairs, medical cannabis, and emerging Jewish communities in Africa
2014 – 2019
GLOBAL SISTERS REPORT
MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA CORRESPONDENT
Responsible for in-depth features about Catholic nuns, including frequent travel to Africa, managing freelance coverage of region, running writing workshops for nuns
2009 - 2013
JERUSALEM POST
JERUSALEM AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT, NEWS ASSISTANT
Full-time reporter for daily English-language newspaper, beat included crime, courts, city hall, Arab affairs, education, culture, sports, politics, international stories. Served as news assistant prior to becoming Jerusalem correspondent in August 2010
Nov 2008 - Jun 2009
OUTSIDE MAGAZINE
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Wrote front-of-book articles for national active lifestyle magazine as well as general research, fact checking, gear testing, Q & As with outdoor icons, and daily blogging for website