Hassen Seria is an award-winning journalist, based in South Africa, who focuses on both African and Middle Eastern affairs.

Having entered the media arena at the tender age of 12, he has worked in multiple spheres of media, including radio, television, online and print.

Driven by a keen interest in news and current affairs – even as a youth – Hassen’s key focus has been on reporting and production of news content. He has reported in the field, presented prime time talk shows, managed the newsroom and organized international symposia.

The advent of Press TV in 2007 presented a new awakening for the international media fraternity, offering the rare opportunity for voices of conscience to deliver the news and fresh perspectives to the global audience. In 2009, a year after winning the prestigious internationally-adjudicated IRIB Radio Award for documentary production, Hassen joined the Press TV team, reporting from key locations in South Africa, including Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

His coverage has included events such as the COP17 meeting in Durban, the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup in South Africa, the Fees Must Fall mass student protests and sessions of the Pan African Parliament.

As the South Africa correspondent, he has focused on issues of crime, service delivery, corruption, socio-economic hardships, racism, HIV and political developments that punctuate the South African landscape, producing both news reports, feature items and extended documentary-style features for Press TV.

Beyond this, Hassen’s journalistic work has seen him interview international newsmakers such as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, current Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi during his tenure as Deputy chief Justice of Iran, leaders of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the leadership of resistance movements such as Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

In managing the newsroom, his expertise covered the American invasion of Iraq, the 2006 Israeli war on Lebanon and the repeated terror campaigns waged against the Gaza Strip. With a keen eye on the Middle East, the uprisings in the region around 2011 saw him conduct in-depth analysis of the region and the various conflicts and provide consultative input for news coverage.

With a focus on analysis and expanding the African narrative, he organized in the recent past an international conference on “Bolstering the African Voice”, which featured representatives from African and international media such as al-Mayadeen TV, RT and Press TV among others.

A media enthusiast at heart, Hassen’s skill and know how extends to other arenas of media, including technical systems, broadcast technology and satellite broadcasting. He has designed and custom-built studios, and trained and mentored both journalistic and technical staff.