Background

Overview

The Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP) was established in 1971. The original conception of MERIP was to provide information and analysis on the Middle East that would be picked up by the existing media. Issue number one of MERIP Reports, published in May 1971, was a six-page mimeographed publication with three brief articles. Throughout 1971 and 1972, the Report appeared irregularly, and it was only in 1973 that the group made a commitment to publish it on a regular basis. Since then, MERIP has never looked back and, in the words of French journalist Eric Rouleau, "No person, specializing or not in Middle Eastern affairs, can afford ignoring Middle East Report." Professor Rashid Khalidi, a leading American scholar, says "Middle East Report is the best periodical (in English) on the Middle East -- bar none." MERIP is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Washington, DC. A completely independent organization, it has no links to any religious, educational or political organizations in the US or elsewhere. Income needed to produce the magazine is earned from subscriptions to Middle East Report, small grants from European and American foundations and gifts from readers and subscribers. By virtue of its tax status as a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the US, MERIP is exempt from the payment of income taxes to the US federal government. Individuals who donate money to MERIP can deduct these gifts from their federal taxes to the extent allowed under the law.

Since 1996, MERIP has maintained one of the most informative websites on Middle East politics, culture and society. Tikkun magazine said of the website: “The tone is eminently professional…. The site's simple (and small) layout is a pleasure to navigate.”

MERIP is governed by a board of five directors who reside throughout North America and serve three-year terms of office. They meet twice annually and provide managerial and financial guidance and oversight to MERIP's professional staff. MERIP’s editorial committee, composed of twenty scholar-activists, meets three times annually to plan, with the editor, upcoming issues of Middle East Report. A three-person development committee advises the staff on financial matters. Board members and committee members serve voluntarily and are not compensated for their work.

About Middle East Report

Middle East Report provides news and perspectives about the Middle East not available from mainstream news sources. The magazine has developed a reputation for independent analysis of events and developments in the Middle East. Understanding of the Middle East in the United States and Europe is limited and plagued by stereotypes and misconceptions. MERIP successfully addresses these limitations by addressing a broad range of social, political and cultural issues, and by soliciting writings and views from authors from the Middle East not often read in the West. A leading diplomat, Mohamed Sahnoun (former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Somalia) says, "Middle East Report's independent and well-informed coverage of issues of governance, social trends and economic development make is a unique resource for people who need to keep abreast with the situation in the Middle East..." Middle East Report does not hesitate to be critical of US foreign policy in the region and is respected for its independence. According to a leading analyst, Graham Fuller of the Rand Corporation, "Middle East Report is the single most valuable periodical I receive on Middle East affairs, offering a wealth of material unavailable elsewhere. This outstanding journal provides truly fresh, unconventional, insightful information and views that are still essential to my research even years after publication." Middle East Report has thousands of subscribers, and a readership considerably enlarged by more than 700 subscriptions to university libraries and other institutions. Additional copies of the magazine are sold in bookstores and newsstands throughout the US and Europe. While the circulation of Middle East Report is limited in the Middle East, the magazine has developed a loyal following among prominent scholars and intellectuals from the region. Middle East Report is published four times a year, and most 48-page issues focus on a specific theme. The magazine serves as a resource for academic specialists but is also accessible to the general public. Many issues include "primers" which provide basic but essential background on a theme or a country. Every year, American university professors order back issues of Middle East Report to assign readings to their students. The electronic arm of the magazine, Middle East Report Online, provides timely analyses of breaking news stories, distributed via e-mail and archived at MERIP’s website.

Media Outreach and Public Education

The magazine is half of MERIP’s work; the other is sustained media outreach and public education. MERIP’s media coordinator works to inject informed and engaged perspective on contemporary Middle East affairs and US policy toward the region into mainstream media coverage. Since 2006, in cooperation with the Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at New York University, MERIP has maintained Middle East Desk, an online gateway for journalists to progressive analysis and commentary on important Middle East stories. MERIP and its network of associates provide the print and electronic media with interviews on a wide range of topics. After the September 11 attacks focused world attention on the Middle East and US policy there, MERIP staff handled hundreds of calls from journalists from around the world. MERIP also has produced a substantial number of special educational materials. During the 1991 Gulf war, MERIP distributed thousands of primers on US-Saudi military relations and on the history of the Iraq-Kuwait conflict to high schools and colleges in the United States. MERIP has also posted on its website primers on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and a backgrounder on the US-led war in Iraq in 2003. MERIP continually responds to requests for information from students, churches, community organizers, librarians, journalists, scholars and teachers as well as business analysts and consultants.

In addition to these activities, MERIP and its network of associates are frequently able to respond to invitations to speak on both general and specialized topics. Finally, MERIP’s professional staff helps train college students and recent graduates interested in Middle East peace and justice issues through summer- and semester-long internships.

Staff and Board

Staff

James E. Bishara - Print and Web Designer
Chris Toensing - Executive Director and Editor, Middle East Report
Amanda Ufheil-Somers - Assistant Editor, Middle East Report
Michelle Woodward - Photo Editor

Board of Directors

Paul Silverstein - Reed College (chair)
Karen Pfeifer - Smith College (vice chair)
Pete Moore - Case Western Reserve University
Julie Peteet - University of Louisville
Chris Toensing - Executive Director

Editorial Committee

Sinan Antoon - New York University
Cemil Aydin - George Mason University
Asef Bayat - University of Illinois
Moustafa Bayoumi - CUNY-Brooklyn College
James E. Bishara - Print and Web Designer
Rochelle Davis - Georgetown University
Lara Deeb - University of California-Irvine
Bassam Haddad - George Mason University
Lisa Hajjar - University of California-Santa Barbara
Toby Jones - Rutgers University
Darryl Li - Harvard University
David McMurray - Oregon State University
Khalid Medani - McGill University
Zia Mian - Princeton University
Pete Moore - Case Western Reserve University
Norma Moruzzi - University of Illinois-Chicago
Julie Peteet - University of Louisville
Nada Shabout - University of North Texas
Jeannie Sowers - University of New Hampshire
Ted Swedenburg - University of Arkansas
Chris Toensing - Editor, Middle East Report
George R. Trumbull IV - Dartmouth College
Amanda Ufheil-Somers - Assistant Editor, Middle East Report

Contributing Editors

Lila Abu-Lughod
Joel Beinin
Azmi Bishara
Sheila Carapico
Dan Connell
Kaveh Ehsani
Beshara Doumani
Selima Ghezali
Sarah Graham-Brown
Fred Halliday (1946-2010)
Rema Hammami
Deniz Kandiyoti
Isam al-Khafaji
Ann Lesch
Zachary Lockman
Tim Mitchell
Roger Owen
Mouin Rabbani
Reem Saad
Mohamed el-Sayed Said (1950-2009)
Simona Sharoni
Susan Slyomovics
Salim Tamari
Graham Usher
Oren Yiftachel
Sami Zubaida

Internships

Interested in the Middle East?

Join the small staff of the Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP), publishers of Middle East Report, for a spring, summer or fall internship. Now in its fortieth year of publication, Middle East Report has provided critical, independent analysis of the issues and policies shaping the region today. Interns become an integral part of MERIP’s work, learn about the Middle East and gain valuable training in skills related to magazine production and general office work.

Intern Responsibilities

Responsibilities may include: assisting the editor in producing Middle East Report, helping to generate content for MERIP’s website, proofreading, procuring photographs and other graphics, securing reports and documents, monitoring media coverage of the Middle East and many others. Specific responsibilities will depend upon the intern’s skills and interests, and MERIP’s current organizational needs.

General Responsibilities

All interns share in general office work: answering telephones, photocopying, preparing outgoing mail, running errands and assisting staff members in special projects. Interns may be asked to attend and/or staff a table at outside events.

Qualifications

MERIP seeks self-motivated individuals with a strong interest in the Middle East and a commitment to progressive politics. Proficiency in Internet research and library research is required.

Minimum Commitment

Fall and spring interns: one semester, 12 hours per week. Summer interns: 2-3 months, 20 hours per week. Interns work at MERIP’s Washington office. Internships are unpaid; MERIP will, however, reimburse for daily travel expenses.

To Apply

Please paste a cover letter explaining your interest in MERIP in an e-mail to ctoensing@merip.org and attach a resume. No writing samples, please. Please specify your dates of availability. Applications that do not follow these guidelines will not be read.

E-mail applications are required. Mailed or faxed applications will not be read.

Application deadlines: March 15 (summer), July 15 (fall), November 15 (spring). Do not ask for a decision on your application before these deadlines.