Who We Are
A nonprofit founded by Syrian journalists, for Syrian journalists — and for the country that needs them.
Founded from necessity, not opportunity
Zaid Mastou had been working as a journalist for four years when the Syrian revolution began in 2011. Two weeks after protests started, he was arrested for his journalism work. That arrest, and what came after it, led directly to the founding of the Accuracy Press Institute.
After his release, Zaid began informally training the civilian journalists who had emerged from the uprising — people with cameras and conviction, but no professional formation. He saw that what Syria needed was not just individual journalists, but a functioning journalism profession: with standards, training, ethics, and institutions.
The formal decision to build that institution came over falafel at a Syrian refugee-owned restaurant in Gaziantep, Turkey — a conversation between Zaid and Karen Volker, who brought years of institutional management experience and had previously managed a MEPI project. Qusai Aljamous, with decades of journalism experience, joined as co-founder.
API was formally established in 2016. It started with online training, moved to in-person programs in Gaziantep, then expanded to Istanbul, Beirut, and — with the fall of the Assad regime — inside Syria itself, with a goal to reach every Syrian city.
"Syria had spent 60 years without a free press. When the revolution started, thousands of ordinary people became journalists overnight — with no training, no ethics, no institutions. We decided to change that."Zaid Mastou — Founder & CEO
Former MEPI project manager, Karen brought international institutional expertise to API's founding. She has spent her career building civil society organizations in complex environments, and has been API's Board Chair since day one.
A Syrian journalist with four years of field experience before the 2011 revolution, Zaid was arrested two weeks after protests began. He founded API in 2016 to formalize what he had been doing informally: training the generation of journalists Syria's uprising had created without preparation.
With decades of journalism experience, Qusai brought deep professional credibility and a wide network to API's founding. His experience across multiple Arab media landscapes has shaped API's training philosophy and partner relationships.
Jelena oversees API's program design and monitoring, evaluation, and learning framework. She brings structured program management to API's training operations across multiple cities and countries.
Ahmad leads API's press and digital operations, overseeing the Arabic journalism platform and digital publications that serve Syrian journalists across the region.
Mazhar manages the day-to-day operations of API's training programs — coordinating logistics, scheduling, and delivery to ensure every cohort runs smoothly across all locations.
Usama directs API's flagship financial journalism program, designing curricula and leading training that has equipped Syrian journalists with data journalism and economic reporting skills.
Kamal supports the financial journalism program as assistant director, developing training materials and mentoring participants in data and investigative financial reporting.