Orientalism and the Media

In this episode we are joined by Samira Mohyeddin to discuss the many ways in which contemporary news outlets are complicit in the orientalizing of Palestine and Iran. She shares with us the harms of legacy media, the power of informed, ethical journalism, and some of the work she’s done as the founder of On the Line Media.Samira Mohyeddin is an award winning journalist and documentary filmmaker. She has a Master of Arts in Modern Middle Eastern History from the University of Toronto and is a graduate of Genocide Studies from the Zoryan Institute. For nearly a decade, she was a producer and host at Canada's national public broadcaster, CBC Radio and CBC Podcasts. She resigned from the CBC in November 2023 and is now the founder and managing editor of On The Line Media, focusing on critical and contextual journalism coupled with intimate conversations and informed commentary. She is also a founding member of the Canadian Journalists for Justice in Palestine.Additional Resources:Fisk, Robert. 2005. The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East. London: Fourth Estate.Lukacs, Martin, Dania Majid, and Jason Toney. 2025. When Genocide Wasn’t News: How Canadian Media Covered Up the Destruction of Gaza. Montreal: Breach Books.Said, Edward. 1979. The Question of Palestine. New York: Times Books.  Follow Samira Mohyeddin on Instagram @smohyeddinOn The Line Media PatreonOn The Line Media YoutubeCanadian Journalists for Justice in PalestineStudy by The Breach: Lukacs, Martin, Katia Lo Innes, and Ben Cuthbert. 2023. “Palestinian deaths count for less in Canada’s newspapers. Data proves it.” The Breach.Quote from Robert Fisk: Mirgani, Suzi. 2010. “Robert Fisk on Western Journalism and the Middle East.” Center for International and Regional Studies, Georgetown University Qatar. Unforked Podcast – “Gastronationalism”Canadian Museum of Human Rights – Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present. Exhibition opens on June 27, 2026, in Winnipeg.Samira’s coverage of the People’s Circle for PalestineHelp fund Samira’s Palestine Solidarity Encampment documentaryThe Everyday Orientalism Podcast explores how Orientalism continues to have deep ramifications in our everyday lives, for how we think about settler-colonialism, liberation, and how empire and capitalism continue to exploit and dehumanize the majority of us. Defined by Palestinian American literary scholar Edward Said, Orientalism is “a Western style for dominating, restructuring, and having authority over the Orient.” Our podcast celebrates the 10th anniversary of the platform Everyday Orientalism.Host: Girish DaswaniEditor and producer: Taylor StarkResearch assistant: Sophie PlotkinIntro music: Madame Salame – Decaf