Al Jazeera America expands executive news team

Al Jazeera America expands executive news team

Al Jazeera

MUMBAI: Al Jazeera America (AJAM) has expanded its executive news team with the appointment of Heather Allan as senior vice president of news gathering.

 

Additionally, AJAM's current news gathering head, Amir Ahmed, an Emmy award-winning journalist who held leadership roles at CNN before joining AJAM in 2013, will assume the role of senior vice president of news planning. 

 

Allan, who is a long-time American news veteran, will be responsible for overseeing all of AJAM's news coverage. She has worked for 30 years at NBC, including as West Coast bureau chief, before joining Al Jazeera English in 2009 as head of global news gathering.

 

On the other hand, Ahmed will be responsible for the strategic planning and delivery of AJAM's high-quality news content.

 

The appointments reflect a strategic commitment by AJAM to bolster its news gathering resources and realign editorial operations so the network is best positioned to advance its journalistic mission across a range of platforms.

 

“Amir and Heather are strong leaders whom we're pleased to have join the newsroom as we continue to advance AJAM's mission to deliver the highest quality, in-depth journalism to more audiences and through multiple platforms,” said Al Jazeera America executive vice president of content Amjad Atallah.

 

In her previous role at Al Jazeera English, Allan managed all global news coverage for the network's 34 bureaus across the world. She played a key role in in launching AJAM in 2013, setting up all of the channel's domestic bureaus and recruiting news staff for each location.

 

“Heather's worldly experience and innate news sense will be a valuable asset in further strengthening AJAM's exceptionally talented news division," said Al Jazeera America president Kate O'Brian.

 

"AJAM's unique mission, passionate journalists and dedication to its editorial vision are characteristics that I truly admire in this young network," added Allan. "I'm excited about the opportunity to be part of it at such a pivotal time, as AJAM defines its role in the market and promotes the value of its content to new audiences."

 

"With a news team committed to delivering content that's consistently second to none, it's a fascinating opportunity to work amongst journalists who all share the same mission," said Ahmed. "I'm looking forward to having Heather on board as we embark on this next phase of AJAM, working together to reach new heights while ensuring our quality journalism continues to reflect our editorial DNA."