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I am Noor Abdallah (she/her), a recent graduate of the University of Georgia, where I majored in journalism, criminal justice and sociology.
I picked up my first camera while making my high school senior project. Between the shaky footage and underexposed lighting, it was not my best work. But by holding a camera, I fell in love with the way I was able to connect with others.
There is a connection between storytelling and advocacy. Visual media can influence policy, and shift societal opinion. I've learned to not hide behind my camera, but to use it as a way to meet people and tell their stories.
I always look for important stories to tell, even outside of journalism.
As a CURO (Center of Undergraduate Research Opportunities) Honors Scholar, I have used photovoice as a methodology to look at disability inclusion. I have also researched newsroom Instagram photojournalists and their photographs regarding the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
I have directed the Arch Policy Institute, a non-partisan student-run think tank to teach the policy-making process. I worked in an educational non-profit as an AmeriCorps VISTA to help students achieve their post-secondary goals.
Whether it was teaching English to kids in a small village in the West Bank or creating content to inform people about wrongful convictions, I've used media in some way to connect people to a mission.
I abide by the National Press Photographers Association's Code of Ethics. I credit my photojournalism professor Mark E. Johnson for showing me the Writing with Light movement he helped launch. I strive to be transparent in the stories I tell, especially during a time when there is an attack on the integrity and credibility of journalists. With that, I adhere to the following principles from Writing with Light:
As recordings of the visible, journalistic photographs must be fair and accurate representations of what the photographer witnessed.
Neither alterations to a photograph that mislead the public, nor staging events while depicting them as spontaneous, are acceptable in journalism. Nor should one publish a photorealistic synthetic image made by artificial intelligence and pretend that it is an actual photograph.
Any deviations to these basic principles must be explained in a caption, credit, or appropriate icon.
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