"I wouldn’t be able to continue my master’s without the AFPC-USA scholarship"

Noran Morsi is a writer and podcaster studying at New York University’s Literary Reportage MFA program, and holds a BA in Multimedia Journalism from the American University in Cairo, Egypt. In 2021, she received an Annual Scholarship Award from the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the USA. Born and raised in Cairo, Noran’s teenage years coincided with the January 25 revolution. She spent her first-year post-graduate as a reporter at Egyptian Streets, an independent online publication, where she founded the Egyptian Streets Podcast. Noran has written two short plays and is interested in creating documentary theatre work. She’s excited to be in New York to write about immigration, the past and present of Arab New York, Muslim woman joy, and more.

Noran Morsi

What was the primary reason you chose to pursue your master's studies in the United States as a foreign journalist?

The U.S., and New York specifically, is the center of journalism in the world. I had already studied journalism in my home country of Egypt, and I wanted to get another perspective in a place that gathered journalists from around the world.

You were recently awarded a scholarship from the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the United States. How did you feel about this recognition?

I was so excited!! I’ve been keeping up with the scholarship for the past two years, seeing the incredible journalists from around the world who were awarded it, and hoped I’d be one of them. As an international student from Egypt, the scholarship is essential in continuing my master’s degree at NYU and accomplishing my dream of having an MFA.

As a journalist, how do you expect your studies and the support from the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the United States to help you advance your career?

I wouldn’t be able to continue my master’s without the AFPC-USA scholarship. With my master’s degree, I intend to do two things: teach journalism back home in Egypt as a professor and use my master’s thesis as my first steps in developing a book. This degree will undeniably help me develop in my career and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue it with the support of this scholarship.

What made you decide to become a journalist? How do you hope to make an impact in the journalism field of your country of origin?
Growing up in Cairo during the revolution, I saw how much of an impact traditional media and social media had on my country. Over the years, I realized what essential role journalism has, and with the development of podcast journalism, I’ve understood that journalism doesn’t have to come in the form of an article or a book. I’ve also understood the impact that journalism can have in telling the stories of a marginalized group of people. I hope that I can work in journalism in Egypt by focusing on Egyptian women’s stories, and how their voices can be better heard.

As a foreign journalist, what defines your mission? 
My mission as a journalist in the U.S. is to focus on the erased history of Arab New York, and the essential role Arab New Yorkers play in the city today, from food to faith, to culture.

What do you think is the greatest threat to journalism today?
Censorship.