Michelle Shephard
Journalist
2022
Michelle Shephard is an award-winning journalist, author and filmmaker who has covered issues of terrorism and civil rights since the 9/11 attacks. During her two decades at the Toronto Star, she reported from more than 20 countries, including Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Pakistan. Among her films, Shephard directed and produced the Emmy-nominated documentary Guantanamo’s Child, and her books include Decade of Fear: Reporting from Terrorism’s Grey Zone. Shephard now works as an independent filmmaker and journalist and podcast host and producer. Her most recent podcast series include Brainwashed, about the CIA’s mind control experiments and White Hot Hate, which explored the rise of the Neo-Nazi accelerationist movement.
The inaugural Eradicate Hate Summit was a truly impressive gathering of leaders dedicated to finding lasting and effective solutions to violent extremism. I was particularly moved by the prominence given to survivors and family members of victims of hate and violence throughout the event. Their stories and those of so many others must be at the center of what we do and why we do it.
