She has received awards from Detroit chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists University of Virginia, and Maryland-D.C. Delaware Press Association.
Early life and education
Born to Egyptian parents, Youssef is a first-generation native of the Washington, D.C. area. She speaks fluent Arabic.
In August 2005, Youssef joined the Washington Bureau at McClatchy.[5] She spent four years covering the Iraq war and served as chief of the Baghdad bureau. Her work focused on the Iraqi citizens, centering on how the U.S. military strategy was influencing the social and political dynamic. Her pieces reflected on the everyday life of the Iraqi people and coverage of civilian casualties.[2][4]
Then, she served as McClatchy's chief Pentagon correspondent, continuing her coverage of both the conflict in Iraq and in Afghanistan, traveling overseas to report on the latest developments. Youssef also served as president of the Pentagon Press Association.[4][9] She also served as Middle East bureau chief for McClatchy and covered the events of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution.[10]
In 2014, she joined The Daily Beast as senior defense and national security correspondent. In 2017, she joined BuzzFeed News on the same beat.[11] She also appeared on PBS's Washington Week.
For her journalistic accomplishments, Youssef has been awarded from Maryland-D.C. Delaware Press Association, Detroit chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, and University of Virginia with Lawrence Hall Award for Distinguished Journalism.[4][5]