Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Languages
Timeline
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Kenza Karoui

Los Angeles

Summary

Investigative journalist and crisis media strategist with a proven track record in breaking national stories and leading UN human rights submissions. Expertise in managing high-stakes political campaigns in the U.S. and North Africa, with a focus on field reporting and movement community relations. Recruited a 20-person newsroom and launched an independent, student-led newspaper, achieving nearly 7,000 followers and over 4.9 million views within five months. Produced impactful crisis coverage during a presidential campaign, immigration crackdowns, and student protests, demonstrating a commitment to accessible, honest, and fair reporting.

Overview

6
6
years of professional experience

Work History

Founder and Editor-in-Chief

Poppy Press
Los Angeles
02.2025 - Current
  • Broke regional stories, including UC student visa termination, prompting public admissions by university administrators, and widespread coverage across independent and national media.
  • Founded a digital news platform that combines investigative journalism, live field coverage during unprecedented campus unrest, and immigration threats.
  • Recruited and trained a 20-person newsroom, and led real-time editorial operations, publishing visual and written coverage within hours of raids, protests, and policy developments.
  • Designed a signature visual identity, editorial protocols, and verification system; grew audience reach to nearly 7,000 followers in under 4 months, 4.9M+ views, and 150k interactions at its peak.
  • Coordinated a decentralized community and media network across eight UC campuses, created tip-verification infrastructure, and provided access to students, faculty, administration, and internal documents.

Lead Research and Co-author

Investigating White Paper
Los Angeles
12.2023 - 12.2024
  • Co-led the production of a 164-page investigative report analyzing the $188 billion University of California endowment fund, uncovering investments tied to corporations implicated in human rights violations and international law breaches.
  • Acquired and applied advanced investigative research methods: learned to interpret LLC contracts, public and private equity holdings, SEC filings, FOIA disclosures, and corporate partnership records to map complex financial and institutional relationships.
  • Structured a comprehensive editorial process: authored and edited core chapters, translating complex financial and legal findings into accessible narrative journalism.
  • Presented findings directly to the UC Chief Investment Officer, presenting evidence on human rights concerns and potential pathways for institutional reform.

Representative and Investigative Report Co-Author

UN Human Rights Council Submissions
Geneva
06.2024 - 09.2024
  • Co-authored multi-organization submissions to 14 or more UN Special Rapporteurs, detailing the suppression of the student protest movement at major U.S. campuses during Spring 2024.
  • Compiled and edited a 200+ page evidence dossier of verified testimonies, video, and photographic documentation, and administrative records of rights violations, now used by rights groups covering student repression.
  • Delivered an oral intervention at the UN Human Rights Council’s 56th Session (June 2024), calling for an independent investigation of police violence and administrative retaliation towards student protesters.
  • Partnered with Amnesty International, legal observers, journalists, and students for follow-up submissions to amplify findings and maintain scrutiny of U.S. universities.

Field Producer

UCLA Student Protests
Los Angeles
04.2024 - 08.2024
  • Directed all external media operations for the UCLA student movement and the subsequent student movement, establishing a communications infrastructure in a high-pressure environment, leading a 40-person team and multiple divisions, including writers, editors, spokespeople, researchers, and outreach.
  • Structured a team of photographers and videographers to capture protests across multiple zones, and produced consistent, rights-cleared visual assets for press and legal inquiries.
  • Coordinated directly with over 200 reporters from 70 local, national, and international media outlets, fielding inquiries and organizing interviews with student leaders and legal representatives.
  • Introduced and implemented an archiving protocol for protest coverage: metadata tagging, time-stamped evidence storage, and secure database access for legal defense, press, and historical documentation.

Crisis Comms for Detained Political Candidate

Nabil Karoui for President Electoral Campaign
Tunis
07.2019 - 11.2019
  • Supervised the review and subtitling of over 20 hours of on-the-ground campaign footage weekly; produced edited reels for internal strategy and external broadcast.
  • Managed cross-functional teams of editors, documentarians, and AV technicians to create campaign media packets for voter outreach, legal defense, and international diplomacy, and volunteers to support rapid digital mobilization and narrative in a legally and politically volatile environment.
  • Coordinated international interviews, press appearances, and spokesperson briefings to address escalating controversies and human rights concerns amid the candidate's detention.

Education

Bachelor of Arts - International Relations

University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles

Skills

  • Investigative reporting
  • Editorial management
  • Advocacy coordination
  • Video editing
  • Audience analysis
  • Graphic design

Languages

Arabic (native)

French (native)

English (full proficient)

Timeline

Founder and Editor-in-Chief

Poppy Press
02.2025 - Current

Representative and Investigative Report Co-Author

UN Human Rights Council Submissions
06.2024 - 09.2024

Field Producer

UCLA Student Protests
04.2024 - 08.2024

Lead Research and Co-author

Investigating White Paper
12.2023 - 12.2024

Crisis Comms for Detained Political Candidate

Nabil Karoui for President Electoral Campaign
07.2019 - 11.2019

Bachelor of Arts - International Relations

University of California Los Angeles

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Kenza Karoui