Erin Cunningham named Jerusalem news director

Erin has extensive experience covering the Middle East, most recently as the Middle East news editor for The Washington Post based in Washington. In that role she helped spearhead the Post’s coverage of the Oct. 7 attack, the war in Gaza and the subsequent conflicts it has ignited.

Erin has an abundance of experience as a newsroom leader, running journalists on assignments in the region, driving coverage, refining angles and enhancing their copy.

Erin’s experience aligns closely with AP’s digital-first strategy and our commitment to combining strong reporting with powerful and distinctive visual storytelling. In her 13 years at the Post, Erin built a reputation for exceptional editorial judgment and strategic leadership — setting daily coverage priorities, driving ambitious and innovative reporting, and guiding correspondents through complex and fast-moving stories. She worked closely across departments, including visual forensics, photography, video and graphics, to produce deeply reported, visually compelling journalism. Her leadership also extended to coordinating with security teams to ensure safe newsgathering in high-risk environments.

Erin’s deep knowledge of Israel and the Palestinian territories is born from her time as a correspondent in the region, based out of Cairo and Istanbul but reporting across the region, including in Gaza.

There has never been a more important time to be a journalist in the Middle East, and I am delighted that Erin is joining us at this critical time. Erin will arrive in Jerusalem the first week of June.

Please join me in welcoming Erin to AP.