Nahla Bendefaa

Nahla (she/her) is a Moroccan-American scholar, communication practitioner, and multimedia storyteller pursuing a Ph.D. in Communication and Media Studies at the University of Oregon. She holds an MA in Global Communication from Kent State University and a BA in Communication Studies, with a media studies emphasis, from Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco. Nahla's career within and outside academia is an eclectic venture. Her work has spanned quasi-governmental organizations, public radio (NPR affiliate) and non-profit journalism, and digital media strategy. She also runs her own strategic communication and media project management consulting business through which she guides communication and content teams to function more efficiently and produces engaging and impactful digital content strategies across various platforms and industries. These experiences all influence and shape Nahla's research interests. Through her academic research, Nahla explores the interactions between state actions/actors and media workers, industries, and systems in North and West Africa. More specifically, Nahla's dissertation investigates the intersections between creator studies, digital platforms and cultures, and the development of politically dominant narratives in foodscapes.