Zaka Hossain

Zaka Hossain is a Master of Journalism student at the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism with a focus on investigative and data-driven reporting. He is currently with Capital News Service and contributing to Hyattsville Life and Times.
In 2024, Hossain co-founded S Tier, a content production startup, where he led the production of over 500 educational videos in Dari and Pashto for a project in collaboration with UNICEF and Lapis, an international edutech organization. The project addressed the education crisis in Afghanistan following the Taliban's ban on girls' secondary education, producing content for students in grades 7-12 who lack access to schools. He coordinated with academic researchers, scholars, visual researchers and international stakeholders to deliver culturally appropriate educational content in underserved languages. His team also produced and scaled podcasts among other projects.
His experience spans community reporting, data-driven investigative journalism, documentary filmmaking and political campaign. Previously, he interned as a video producer at Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), developing research-driven video content for political campaigns. His documentary work includes "The Living Waters: Exploring the Vitality of East Calcutta Wetlands."