Shirley Jahad Reporter and Host, Weekend Edition
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Shirley Jahad serves as reporter, weekend anchor and host at KPCC: Southern California Public Radio.
An award winning journalist, radio correspondent and news anchor, her work as an anchor and reporter has been honored by the LA Press Club and the Associated Press among other outlets.
Jahad is also a recognized documentary producer, winning the Robert F. Kennedy Award, the National Associated Press Award and others for her work. She traveled to Iran, her parents’ home country, to produce the award-winning documentary, "Dreaming in Farsi." Most recently Shirley has been named a fellow by the International Center for Journalists.
She has also written television documentary stories, including one for the History Channel on the life of Fidel Castro.
Before coming to Los Angeles, Jahad spent many years as a journalist in Chicago. She worked at WBEZ-FM, Chicago Public Radio as a correspondent, anchor, documentary producer, and news executive. She also worked at WTTW, Chicago Public Television as a regular correspondent for the acclaimed program, "Chicago Tonight."
Jahad graduated from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
In her spare time, she dabbles in tap dancing, jewelry making and karate kicking.
Stories by Shirley Jahad
Los Angeles Improv Comedy Fest underway this weekend
If you could use a few laughs this weekend, the 9th Annual Improv Comedy Fest is on. Lovers of sketch comedy and improv comedy have a lot to choose from each night, and there are workshops during the day for aspiring performers or simply curious.
Inland Empire school experiments with virtual dissection instead of real frogs
An Inland Empire high school is going virtual when it comes to dissecting frogs in biology class. An animal rights group is giving the school special software to do virtual dissection, instead of the real thing.
Lakers introduce new coach Mike Brown
The Lakers introduced the team’s new head coach today.
USC-affiliated school graduates filmmakers from Mideast and North Africa
Its graduation season. The University of Southern California held a graduation ceremony last week half a world away -- in Aqaba Jordan. USC teamed up with the Royal Jordanian Film Commission to create the first graduate film program for students in the Middle East and North Africa. KPCC’s Shirley Jahad visited the film school last year and tells us about the effort to give Middle Eastern students the tools to tell their own stories …
UCLA opens world's first infectious disease lab
UCLA today opened a new Global Bio Lab that will train researchers how to test and analyze infectious diseases and respond to pandemics.
Couple's donation creates interreligious university in Claremont
The Claremont School of Theology is teaming up with two other religious institutions to form a new interreligious university: Claremont Lincoln University. The new school will incorporate the Academy for Jewish Religion and the Islamic Center of Southern California.
Charles Drew University names new president
Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science may itself soon be coming off the critical care list. The Willowbrook medical school created to train minority doctors was on the brink of closure. Its financial health was in trouble and its reputation took a beating after it was put on academic probation. Now the university announced it’s bringing in a new president.
May Day march steps off Sunday morning
Thousands of immigrant’s rights advocates, union members and peace activists are gathering Sunday morning for a May Day march. The demonstration comes days after President Obama reiterated his support for the Dream Act and immigration reform. The march steps off at 10 a.m. in downtown LA from Olympic and Broadway.
Department of Housing and Urban Development launches anti-scam campaign
The foreclosure crisis still affects thousands of Southern California families. Federal officials have issued new warnings for homeowners to beware of loan modification scammers.
Poll says California voters would take tax increases, spending cuts to balance budget
A new poll indicates a majority of California voters would support tax increases along with spending cuts to balance the budget. Dan Schnur directed the USC/L.A. Times survey on what voters would do to solve the state's budget crisis.
'Rio' tops weekend box office
Animated and family films did well this Easter weekend.
'Rio' swings to the top at the box office
The animated movie “Rio” might help swing Hollywood out of the doldrums. "Rio" flew to the top of the box office bringing in $40 million. That makes it the number one opening so far this year.
Restoration of Angeles National Forest damaged in Station Fire underway
A couple of years after the biggest wildfire in Los Angeles County history, a private foundation is working with local and federal officials to help restore the Angeles National Forest.
Immigrant, worker rights supporters put out call for May Day march
Advocates for immigrants’ and workers’ rights staged a small demonstration in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday to call for an end to budget cutbacks that hurt working families. They also announced plans for another march on May 1.
'Hop' tops weekend box office
Comic actor Russell Brand scored a one-two punch at the box office.
