Karen Maron

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Karen Marón is a journalist and as international correspondent she realizes coverages in Middle East, Latin America, Africa and Europe, including Iraq, Lebanon, Colombia and the Arabic-Israeli conflict.

Karen Marón

1 Career
2 Awards and Recognition
3 References
4 External links
- 4.1 News and Media
5 See also

[edit] Career

Marón is an Argentine journalist specialized in the coverage of armed conflicts and international politics. She continues to carry out her work as a freelance correspondent from Iraq, since April 2004 up to the present, for NBC-Telemundo (United States), BBC World (United Kingdom), Radio France International, El Universal (Mexico), El Tiempo, El Espectador, Caracol Radio (Colombia), Folha de São Paulo (Brazil), El Mercurio (Chile), Perfil weekly magazine, and Télam of Argentina. Besides, she has contributed to Radio Cooperativa (Chile), Espectador Radio (Uruguay) and Azteca Television (Mexico).

Marón is recognized widely by her professional labor in Iraq during the military American occupation. From this risky coverage, speaker has spread during the last four years all the news events of the country for the Hispanic world. Her works spread from the coverage of the fourth anniversary of the invasion in 2007 ^[1] ^[2] ^[3] ^[4], , the Saddam Husein`s trial and his execution, the first elections to make up the Constitutional Assembly, the Constitutional Referendum and the Parliamentary elections during the military occupation in 2005.

Later during 2004 to 2008, she gave coverage to the successive changes in power, the first elections to make up the Constitutional Assembly, the Constitutional Referendum and the Parliamentary elections during the military occupation.She met with different Iraqi groups, including Mahdi Army, led by cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr and in secrecy, with Ba'ath Party members. Her work stands out for her written and broadcast reports on the humanitarian, economic, social and general situation of the country during the occupation period, with special emphasis on the war victims.

From April to August 2004, and during the whole of 2005 she has been the only Latin American journalist in Iraq working simultaneously for up to 12 different communications media. Her coverage of the tortures in the Abu Ghraib jails, in May 2004, were published exclusively and for the first time in Latin America by Colombia’s El Espectador. She worked in the cities of Baghdad, Najaf, Kerbala, Kufa, Falluja, Kirkuk and Suleimania in Kurdistan.

Before that, she was witness to conflicts and the post-conflict periods in the Middle East, Colombia, Peru and Cyprus for several international media.

In the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East during 2000 and 2001, she dealt with topics such as the peace process, the second Intifada and the visit to Bethlehem of Yasser Arafat during Christmas on Jubilee year, interviewing the top Israeli and Palestinian dignitaries. She also covered the confrontations in Ramallah and Beit Jala.

In Colombia her interview with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), when they declared themselves to be a “State in the making”, was considered by specialists as the “interview of the year for 2001” and her work done with women guerrillas won international recognition for its humanitarian content.

There, she also covered the drama of those internally displaced and, in the Putumayo region, worked on the topic of fumigations with glifosate that affects thousands of rural and indigenous people. Amongst her outstanding special investigations is the one on the links between the FARC and International Terrorism.

In 2003, she worked in Peru on Sendero Luminoso’s/ Shining Path’s possible resurgence, interviewing members of that organization. She did special research regarding the Truth Commission and the consequences of political violence.

In March of the same year she gave coverage to the Peace Keeping Operation in Cyprus (UNFICYP) in the light of the possible peace agreement between Greece and Turkey, sponsored by United Nations, to restore peace to the Island in a conflict which has been going on for 37 years. She extended the work to study the bringing about of peace in the Greek-Cypriot and Turkish communities.

She carried out specialized studies in different parts of the world and she has three diplomas for war correspondents. She obtained two grant from the New Journalism Foundation of Colombia, is a member of the Media Corporation Network for Peace of Colombia, the International Journalist Federation, the Latin American Journalist Federation and the International Press Club of Madrid, among others.

She teaches and lectures on, journalists in high risk areas and is author of the Curricular Program of the International Course for correspondents in conflict zones and Peace Operations. She held the position as Co director of the above mentioned academic activity and gave lectures in Argentina, Spain, Colombia, Cuba and Israel.

In 2003, she was selected as tutor of the First Virtual Seminar New Journalism, prevailed by the Gabriel García Márquez, Literature Noble Prize and organized by the Monterrey Virtual Technology University and the Latin American New Journalism Foundation which has its seat in Cartagena de Indias,Colombia.

[edit] Awards and Recognition

In February 2003, she received the prize for the best written press work published in the Southern Cone, for her article “Women Guerrilla”, in the Henry Dunant Contest on Humanitarian Journalism, organized by the International Red Cross Committee.

In August 2004, she was named Illustrious Citizen of the Moreno District –her place of birth. The Prominent Young Woman of 2004, and a recognition on Professional Excellence were both awarded by the Rotary Club. In 2005 she received the Oesterheld for her work on armed conflicts and a special distinction, awarded by the Moreno Business Association (UEM).

Besides, Honorable Senate of the Province of Buenos Aires named her Prominent Person in the province for the year 2005, in recognition of her international journalistic work in conflict zones.

In February 2006, the International Press Club of Madrid, which groups together foreign correspondents in Spain, awarded her the 2005 Recognition Prize for her outstanding work in Iraq.

In 2007 she was honoured by The House of Senators from Argentina on the Journalist´s Day for her outstanding international development. Same year the Rotary Club appointed her as Honoris Causa Member as she has fulfilled the principle of "offering herself to those who are in need and Giving of Her before Thinking of Her". In October same year Marón was awarded with the Ugarit Distinction for the Youth Revelation of the Year Award at the Legislative House of Buenos Aires City, a prize which was also received by Diego Torres –the worldwide famous Argentine musician.