Zeena Saifi

Zeena Saifi is a Multiplatform Producer based in CNN’s Abu Dhabi bureau. She tells stories across CNN’s television outlets and on its industry-leading digital platforms. Saifi produces and writes on the network’s flagship Middle East programme ‘Connect the World with Becky Anderson’, and cultivates the very best of what’s on the television show for delivery across platforms. She also imagines, pitches, and executes her own vision for various multi-platform projects, which often involves travel and field work. The Jordanian-native focuses on news and features across the Middle East, and has played a vital role in CNN’s regional coverage of stories such as the August 2020 Beirut port blast, the May 2021 war between Hamas and Israel, Joe Biden’s first presidential trip to the Middle East in July 2022 and the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Northern Syria in 2023. Saifi was also part of CNN’s Emmy award-winning coverage of Turkey’s military incursion into Syria in October 2019. She has also led production across interviews with high-profile and newsmaking guests, including an exclusive interview with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan a month after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and an exclusive interview with Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati a week after the formation of his government. Saifi was nominated as an inaugural member of CNN International’s Diversity Council in September 2021. The council meets monthly with senior management to discuss ways to strengthen editorial content, build on employee engagement and workplace culture, and improve diverse representation across CNN’s platforms. Saifi joined CNN in 2017.

Biography:  https://www.cnn.com/profiles/zeena-saifi

55%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermines the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
Analysis.OverallConflictOfInterestScore * 0.3F + Analysis.OverallBiasScore * 0.3F + Analysis.DeceptivenessScore * 0.3F + Analysis.ReadabilityScore * 0.1F

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

The Daily's Verdict

This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.

Bias

60%

Examples:

  • She also quotes only Palestinians who are critical of Israel, without providing any balance or counter-perspective from Israeli officials or other sources.
  • She uses language that is sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, such as 'our house', 'my home', and 'devastation everywhere'.
  • The author seems to have a pro-Palestinian bias in her reporting, as she emphasizes the suffering of Palestinians and blames Israel for much of the violence and destruction.

Conflicts of Interest

40%

Examples:

  • However, she may have a vested interest in portraying Israel negatively and promoting a pro-Palestinian agenda.
  • The author does not disclose any obvious conflicts of interest in her reporting, such as personal ties to any political or militant groups involved in the conflict.

Contradictions

80%

Examples:

  • She also contradicts eyewitness accounts of Palestinian militants firing rockets at Israeli cities, which is not mentioned or acknowledged in her article.
  • The author contradicts herself by claiming that residents are returning to find their former neighborhoods in ruins when it's clear from the footage and descriptions provided that they have been bulldozed and destroyed by Israeli forces.

Deceptions

70%

Examples:

  • She also uses phrases like 'our house' and 'my home' to dehumanize Palestinians and elicit sympathy from readers.
  • The author is deceptive by omitting important information that could contextualize or explain the actions of Palestinians, such as their illegal use of wood and belongings as currency under Israeli law.

Recent Articles

Israel Withdraws Ground Forces from Devastated Khan Younis in Gaza Strip

Israel Withdraws Ground Forces from Devastated Khan Younis in Gaza Strip

Broke On: Tuesday, 09 April 2024 Israel withdrew its ground forces from Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on April 8th, leaving behind a city devastated by months of intense fighting between Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas militants. Residents are returning to a city beyond recognition due to destruction caused by IDF operations.