Michigan Public’s News Director Vincent Duffy has announced that Zena Issa has joined the NPR affiliate as the station’s Criminal Justice reporter.
Zena Issa was previously an intern in the Michigan Public newsroom and has also worked extensively with the Stateside and digital teams on special social media and election projects. She is an award-winning journalist, having been part of the Michigan Public team that created “Voter Voices” and “What the Vote,” both winners of Michigan Association of Broadcasters Broadcast Excellence awards.
In addition to her work with Michigan Public, Zena worked as an MMJ (Multi-Media Journalist) reporter with WLNS-TV in Lansing, reported as an intern at WDIV-TV in Detroit, and was the Emma Bowen Fellow at WBAL-TV in Baltimore.
She has extensive social media experience, frequently producing her own TikToks from the field when reporting, and is fluent in Arabic. Her first day in this new role was May 6th.
The Criminal Justice position at Michigan Public is funded by a grant from the Public Welfare Foundation, which allows the station to do more reporting supporting youth and adult criminal justice issues in Michigan.
For over seventy years, Public Welfare Foundation has supported efforts to advance justice and opportunity for people in need. Today, the Foundation’s efforts focus on catalyzing a transformative approach to justice that is community-led, restorative, and racially just through investments in criminal justice and youth justice reforms in targeted jurisdictions, including Michigan. These efforts honor the Foundation’s core values of racial equality, economic well-being, and fundamental fairness for all.
