The concept of Global Access Media is born out of a sincere desire to provide honest and accurate information to the public, based on the knowledge that the solutions to our greatest issues and conflicts can lie in mutual understanding, tolerance, and the bonds of our common humanity.

Following the attacks of 9/11 and my country’s march towards war in Iraq, I set out to produce a documentary project that sought to find answers to the varied and heartfelt questions that so many of us were asking, questions that seemed to have no real answers. With a cameraman, I traveled through all regions of the United States, talking to people from all walks of life, in a journey than delved deep into the American psyche. From Main Street to Wall Street, across all social, political and economic lines, every citizen interviewed had deep convictions and emotional opinions, yet very few had any real facts to back up their beliefs. During years of production, it became strikingly clear that the media played a fundamental role in shaping the opinions and beliefs of the public, but had failed to accurately and responsibly inform.

During this journey the Iraq war began and I decided to travel to Iraq myself to find out more about was really happening, and why. Through a unique set of circumstances, I ultimately found myself reporting from ground zero of the aftermath of the largest battle of the Iraq war, in Fallujah. In this city that the American media dubbed the “hotbed of the insurgency” and “infested with terrorists,” and the world press used to vilify American soldiers and military atrocities, I found the common humanity of the people most affected and involved in all sides of the war. At that time, I became the only un-embedded, independent westerner to gain access inside this forbidden city and live with the people of Fallujah, which allowed me to experience war from the perspective of innocent civilians, and interact with both Iraqi and American soldiers. My first-hand experience of the massive suffering created by large-scale violence and the cultural separation perpetuated by media stereotypes has shaped my determination for a more just and effective media.

Upon returning to the United States, my partner Natalie Kalustian and I produced two critically acclaimed documentaries that expose the human aspects of war, and co-founded an international relief agency specializing in the delivery of humanitarian supplies into combat zones.

As the co-founders of Global Access Media, our commitment and passion lies in providing ethical media to the public in the pursuit of rational solutions that benefit humanity.