A veteran journalist with over a decade of experience, Mariam is passionate about gender equality and workers’ rights. Though often managing from behind a desk, her instinct to report from the ground kicks in whenever news breaks.

Dominik transitioned into journalism in 2015 from a career in peacebuilding and project management. At OC Media, he oversees organisational development and fundraising, often sharing his insights on conflict-sensitive terminology and correct transcription from all the numerous languages of the Caucasus.

Robin joined OC Media at its founding in 2017 after working in Georgia’s NGO sector. His focus on human rights and social justice drives his commitment to giving marginalised voices a platform. He’s also known for his love of hiking, KFC, and the Oxford comma.

A Circassian from the diaspora, Yousef joined OC Media out of a passion for the Caucasus and a fascination with functional public transport. With previous journalism experience in Jordan, he divides his time between keeping up with regional news, podcast production, and exploration of specialty coffee.

After years in academia, Xandie returned to Georgia to join OC Media. Her previous work with non-profits focused on Eurasian affairs, particularly queer and gender rights and green politics. She’s also a fan of foreign cinema, tea, and books (but not spilling tea on books).

Nate joined OC Media as an editor after a year at The Kyiv Independent, where he covered Ukraine, Russia, and the South Caucasus. He has a background in grant writing and reporting on post-Soviet geopolitics, with a focus on conflict-sensitive journalism and human rights.

Mikheil joined OC Media after a long career as a journalist at Netgazeti, focusing on politics, human rights and the wider region. He has an academic background in Arabic Studies and maintains a strong interest in Arabic language, Egyptian cinema, and the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings.

A journalist since 2016, Arshaluys specialises in fact-checking and open-source investigations, with a focus on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, politics, and social and gender issues. She is also a strong advocate for media literacy and closely follows Armenia’s media landscape.

An experienced journalist, Aytan has worked with Azerbaijani, regional, and international media. Formerly with Meydan TV, she now lives in Georgia, where she focuses on investigative journalism, covering topics such as government accountability and domestic violence.

Liza was born and raised in Vladikavkaz and now lives in Prague. She has previously worked for RFE/RL, ASTRA, Belsat, and others. She is currently completing her Master's degree in Russian Studies at Charles University in Prague, specialising in the study of military and inter-ethnic conflicts in the North Caucasus. In her free time, Liza shoots feature films, writes about cinema, and travels — she has visited exactly 50 countries and is not going to stop there.

Salome handles everything from donor reports to managing media partnerships at OC Media. She loves balancing project management with communications and engagement and, in her free time, can be found watching crime dramas with her cat.

Tamar joined OC Media after promoting documentary films on social and environmental justice. She is passionate about visual storytelling, data, and technology, and spends her time keeping up with social media trends while dabbling in amateur underwater photography.

Before joining OC Media as Community Manager, Nina worked with grassroots and civil society organisations in Georgia focused on intersectional feminist politics.. In her free time you will find her making documentary films, singing jazz, and parenting her one and only unruly puppy — Pussy.

Lily grew up in London and graduated in 2023 with a degree in French and Russian. She has worked in publishing, translation, and for too long as a waitress. She moved to Tbilisi in September 2024, and is over the moon to be involved with OC Media. She aspires to have written a novel by 2025.