Joe Snell's reporting has taken him to Iraq, Lebanon, Germany, Paris, Belgium and across the United States. He's currently a freelance journalist based in northern Iraq.
He previously worked as an international video journalist for The Washington Post and earlier as a video journalist for Al-Monitor, a digital news outlet focused on the Middle East.​​​
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In 2025, he was part of a team that won the National Press Photographers Association’s Best of Photojournalism award. He was awarded Northwestern University’s Harrington Award in 2020, the school's highest graduate honor. He's also a recipient of the national Scranton Gillette Fellowship and the Radio Television Digital News Association's Vada and Col. Barney Oldfield National Security Reporting Fellowship.
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In 2025, he published "Our Assyrian Story," a book documenting the history and contemporary experiences of the global Assyrian community.
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He holds a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California, where he studied film and business law. He is the founder and editor of The Assyrian Journal, an independent online publication covering the global Assyrian community.
Work Experience
October 2025 - Present
Reporter based in Iraq
Freelance Journalist
On-the-ground reporting, including quick turn and long-form video explainers, photo-led stories, and breaking and enterprise print stories.
January 2023 - July 2025
The Washington Post
International Video Journalist
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Research, write and produce original vertical and horizontal news video packages. Support breaking news assignments and writing and video for live update files. Collect and edit footage from contributors around the world. Write stories around visual elements.
July 2021 - August 2022
Al-Monitor
Video Journalist
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Research, wrote and produced original news and enterprise videos. Created weekly Middle East Minute video series. Collected and edited video footage from Al-Monitor contributors around the Middle East and North Africa.
August 2020 - July 2021
Al-Monitor
General Assignment Reporter​
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General assignment reporter. Wrote daily pieces as well as longer enterprise stories. Reported across video, audio, print and social media platforms.
November 2016 - November 2017
Rambler Newspapers
Associate Editor​
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Covered events across the city of Irving, Texas, including town hall meetings, local special interest stories and feature pieces. Laid out weekly paper through InDesign. Assigned stories to contributors and copy edited their material.
Education
Northwestern University
Master of Science in Journalism, Medill School of Journalism
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Specialization in Politics, Policy and Foreign Affairs Reporting. KTA Academic Honors, Harrington Award Winner, Scranton Gillette Awardee.
University of Southern California
Bachelor of Arts, School of Cinematic Arts​
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Major in Cinematic Arts Critical Studies, Minor in Business Law
Leadership
"Our Assyrian Story"
Published a book in 2025 documenting the contemporary Assyrian community around the world through a collection of short stories and photographs
2025 National Press Photographer Association - Best of Photojournalism
Team category winner for coverage of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington, D.C. and city-wide protests
2020 Vada and Col. Barney Oldfield National Security Reporting Fellow
National winner of the Radio and Television Digital News Foundation's fellowship as an emerging reporter covering national security
Harrington Award Winner
Winner of Medill's highest honor for graduate students, awarded across four areas (videography/broadcast, magazine writing, editing and interactive storytelling)
Student Delegate to European Union
One of 15 graduate students nationwide selected to join immersive European Union program and report on the EU Summit in Brussels
Fox Executive Apprenticeship
One of nine graduates nationwide selected for inaugural full-time apprenticeship program, each paired with a different executive. I was paired with Fox Sports Co-President and COO Eric Shanks (has since become CEO and EP)