Adham Hassouna (Ḥassūna) (ادهم احمد خالد حسونة) was a freelance journalist, a lecturer in media studies at several universities in the Gaza Strip, and an assistant professor of radio and television at al-Israa University in al-Zahra’, Gaza City. He also worked for some time as a director at Palestine TV. 

Adham Hassouna was born on 12 September 1982 in al-Shuja`iyya neighborhood in the eastern part of Gaza City and lived most of his life there. For his post-secondary education, he studied abroad. He went first to Egypt where he received his BA degree in Media and Communication Arts from the October 6 University (Giza), followed by his MA degree, in 2012, from the Institute of Arab Research and Studies (Cairo). His thesis was entitled, The Role of Palestinian Local Radio Stations in Addressing Internal Issues and the Public’s Relationship with them: an Analytical Field Study. He then went to Sudan where he completed his doctorate in Media Studies. 

With advanced degrees in hand, Adham Hassouna embarked upon a promising career that combined scholarship with teaching and journalism. In terms of research, he had a broad interest in the relationship between media and society and, specifically, in the effects of media in its various forms, origins and content, on university students in Gaza. A first publication, a paper that he had originally prepared for a workshop on “Culture Broadcast via Arab Satellite Channels,” came out in 2015. Some years later, Professor Hassouna participated in a study that resulted in a co-authored publication to which he contributed. Entitled, “The Impact of Exposure to Indian TV serials and Public Opinion regarding the Values Presented Therein: Field Study with a Sample of University Students in Gaza,” the article was published in the Journal of the Humanities (Israa University, 2021).

Adham Hassouna died on 1 December 2023. He was killed, along with several family members, including his brother, Dr. Majid Hassouna, when Israeli bombing in al-Shuja`iyya neighborhood targeted his home. He was 41 years old and married. 

As evident from the moving tributes to him, Adham Hassouna was a beloved friend, colleague and teacher:

“My love, my brother, and my colleague, my study and professional colleague… my companion in exile, and my pen and book companion, whom I leaned on whenever my branch bent and bowed.” 

“You poured out your experience and knowledge on us. You were the best lecturer.”
Photo credit: IPS