Eleanor Reich

Eleanor H. Reich is an American-Israeli journalist who works remotely with the Associated Press Jerusalem Bureau while pursuing an MIA at Columbia SIPA. She holds a BA in Sociology and Theater and an MS in Journalism from Columbia University.

Eleanor moved to New York in 2017 to become an actress. While completing her undergraduate degree, she enrolled in a journalism course that shifted the trajectory of her career. Drawn to the power of storytelling to inform and hold institutions accountable, she set her sights on the newsroom. Her first published piece, written during an internship at Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, examined a campaign to establish a separate court for sexual crimes in Israel — a story that underscored her commitment to reporting on issues of gender justice and equity.

After earning her BA, Eleanor returned to Israel to join the AP Jerusalem Bureau as a general assignment reporter and researcher. There, she covered national elections, contributed to breaking news coverage, and launched the bureau’s social media presence. She later rejoined Haaretz as a full-time visual producer in its cultural section, shaping multimedia storytelling and collaborating closely with reporters and photojournalists. During this period, she also freelanced as a researcher and translator for The Washington Post’s Jerusalem Bureau.

In 2023, Eleanor returned to Columbia to pursue her MS in journalism, training in print, audio, and opinion writing. Her master’s project investigated the dynamics of a WhatsApp group of more than 200 Israeli expats in New York united in opposition to the Israeli occupation - and how their activism evolved after the Hamas attack on October 7.

Now at SIPA, Eleanor is focusing her graduate studies on human rights, gender and public policy, and media. Alongside her academic work, she continues to contribute to the AP’s coverage of Israel and the region, reporting on political developments and the ongoing war. Her recent freelance reporting includes features for The Media Line and Shomrim, an Israeli investigative outlet, on topics ranging from domestic violence during wartime to the Iranian Jewish diaspora.

Eleanor’s journalism is defined by a commitment to non-partisan, deeply reported coverage of complex political and social issues, with particular attention to the Middle East. She is passionate about bridging rigorous research with compelling storytelling, whether through breaking news, investigative features, or multimedia projects.