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My Professional Journey

I began my career as a journalist, reporting from across Europe and Africa for top-tier broadcasters, including Channel Four, CBC, TF1, FR2, ARD, Channel 9 Australia, 60 Minutes, and Reuters TV. I also wrote for several print outlets, including the LA Times, die TAZ, the Economist, and People Magazine, and produced award-winning social issue documentaries for Franco-German public broadcaster ARTE.

In 2007, while reporting from a refugee camp in East Africa, I decided to shift from writing about people suffering injustices to working with them. I’ve since put my communications skills to use for issues I feel passionate about, including human rights, climate change, financial inclusion, women’s empowerment, press freedom, and transitional justice.

My first NGO position was as a communications manager at Greenpeace International, where I worked on campaigns in the Congo and Indonesian rainforests. I later served as communications director and member of the senior leadership team for three international organizations—the Open Government Partnership, the Financial Transparency Coalition, and the Center for Justice and Accountability.

I founded Dietlind Lerner Mission-Driven Strategic Communications in 2019 and have since had the pleasure of working with a wide range of organizations—from one-person NGOs to universities, multilateral institutions like the World Bank, training programs, and both national and international NGOs. I am also the director of the TAZ Zeitung's Daniel Haufler Journalism Fellowship.

A dual US-French citizen, I hold a BA from Barnard College of Columbia University and am fluent in English, French, and German, with basic Spanish. My LinkedIn Profile.

 
 

My Story in Pictures

As a journalist, I interviewed the powerful (high-level politicians, thought-leaders, and heads of business), the remarkable (Hollywood superstars, major athletes, and original thinkers including inventors and artists), and those to whom life has been less kind (refugees, rape survivors, and the desperately poor). A dozen years into this career, moved by the great inequalities and injustices I witnessed, I left journalism to work for organizations aspiring to create positive change.

 
 
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As director of the Daniel Haufler Fellowship, I lead an annual program that brings ten German journalists to Washington, DC, and New York to meet with other journalists, thought leaders, academics, and media professionals. It’s a real joy to explore

As director of the Daniel Haufler Fellowship, I lead an annual program that brings ten German journalists to Washington, DC, and New York to meet with other journalists, thought leaders, academics, and media professionals. It’s a real joy to explore the current state of U.S. media with these mid-career journalists and witness their curiosity and insights.

I had the honor of moderating a press conference announcing the arrival of Kumi Naidoo as Greenpeace International's new Executive Director. Naidoo was formerly a youth leader in the anti-Apartheid movement and we hosted the press conference in Joha

I had the honor of moderating a press conference announcing the arrival of Kumi Naidoo as Greenpeace International's new Executive Director. Naidoo was formerly a youth leader in the anti-Apartheid movement and we hosted the press conference in Johannesburg's Old Fort Prison, which once held Nelson Mandela. We received extensive media coverage around the globe.

President Obama, along with 15 other heads of state and civil society leaders, launched the Open Government Partnership at the UN in 2011. As the first Communications Director, I built the organization’s “communications machine,” and also led outrea

President Obama, along with 15 other heads of state and civil society leaders, launched the Open Government Partnership at the UN in 2011. As the first Communications Director, I built the organization’s “communications machine,” and also led outreach at Summits in Cape Town, Mexico City, Tiblisi, Paris and the UN.

In 2024, I split my time between Kyiv and California, working with the Atrocity Crimes Advisory (ACA) Group for Ukraine. Established in mid-2022 by the U.S., EU, and UK in partnership with the Ukrainian government, ACA supports the investigation and

In 2024, I split my time between Kyiv and California, working with the Atrocity Crimes Advisory (ACA) Group for Ukraine. Established in mid-2022 by the U.S., EU, and UK in partnership with the Ukrainian government, ACA supports the investigation and prosecution of atrocity crimes committed during Russia’s full-scale invasion. I am deeply committed to international criminal justice—not only as a deterrent and a safeguard against impunity but also as a crucial element of post-conflict peace and stability.

Finishing a story about the Lost Boys of Sudan from the waiting room of the Lokichogio airport in the Turkana District of northwestern Kenya. I’d spent several days with four Lost Boys living in the sprawling Kakuma refugee camp, which is run by the

Finishing a story about the Lost Boys of Sudan from the waiting room of the Lokichogio airport in the Turkana District of northwestern Kenya. I’d spent several days with four Lost Boys living in the sprawling Kakuma refugee camp, which is run by the UN with significant support from a handful of NGOs. The experience inspired me to transition from writing about people suffering injustices to working on projects with the potential to really help them.

Meeting with French government officials at the Elysée Palace to discuss Open Government Partnership initiatives. As Communications Director for this international partnership of 75 governments and hundreds of civil society organizations, I often w

Meeting with French government officials at the Elysée Palace to discuss Open Government Partnership initiatives. As Communications Director for this international partnership of 75 governments and hundreds of civil society organizations, I often worked with senior-level government officials to coordinate communications initiatives and outreach opportunities.

As a field producer for 60 Minutes Australia, I spent a week embedded with the French Foreign Legion in the desert of Djibouti. An ardent pacifist, this is likely the only time I’ll ever hold a gun (apparently upside down). A cardinal tenant of jour

As a field producer for 60 Minutes Australia, I spent a week embedded with the French Foreign Legion in the desert of Djibouti. An ardent pacifist, this is likely the only time I’ll ever hold a gun (apparently upside down). A cardinal tenant of journalism is impartiality, and I often interacted with people whose beliefs are opposite to mine (including neo-Nazis, pimps, and drug dealers). It was never dull and almost always educational.

A group photo from FinEquity’s Annual Meeting in Singapore. Convened by CGAP at the World Bank, it was a privilege to work with this vibrant, diverse community of experts dedicated to advancing women’s financial inclusion in developing countries. So

A group photo from FinEquity’s Annual Meeting in Singapore. Convened by CGAP at the World Bank, it was a privilege to work with this vibrant, diverse community of experts dedicated to advancing women’s financial inclusion in developing countries. Sometimes, it’s the least flashy topics that hold the greatest power to drive real, lasting change.

PEN America’s Freedom to Write Center (FTWC) supports writers not only for their literary contributions, but also for their role as human rights defenders. The suppression of free expression is often an early warning sign of democratic backsliding.

PEN America’s Freedom to Write Center (FTWC) supports writers not only for their literary contributions, but also for their role as human rights defenders. The suppression of free expression is often an early warning sign of democratic backsliding. During my long collaboration with the FTWC as a consultant, I wrote about Iran, Georgia, Eritrea, Russia, and other deeply repressive societies—very different in culture, but strikingly similar in their tactics for silencing free thinkers.

As a communications manager at Greenpeace International, I traveled to Sumatra to document extensive deforestation by the palm oil industry. In addition to destroying the climate (it is responsible for about 20% of annual greenhouse gas emissions),

As a communications manager at Greenpeace International, I traveled to Sumatra to document extensive deforestation by the palm oil industry. In addition to destroying the climate (it is responsible for about 20% of annual greenhouse gas emissions), deforestation often deprives indigenous people of their livelihoods. The stories I gathered were used in our communications materials at the Copenhagen Climate Conference (COP 15).

As a journalist, I interviewed dozens of celebrities, from Hugh Grant and Tom Cruise to Wim Wenders, André Leon Talley, Beyoncé, and Green Day. I also interviewed major political figures and academics, including John Major, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing,

As a journalist, I interviewed dozens of celebrities, from Hugh Grant and Tom Cruise to Wim Wenders, André Leon Talley, Beyoncé, and Green Day. I also interviewed major political figures and academics, including John Major, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, Jean-Marie le Pen, Howard Zinn, and Wolf Biermann. One of my favorite interviews was with Mahir, an early Internet sensation from Turkey who served as the inspiration for Borat.

To mark the opening of Greenpeace’s new office in Kinshasa, I worked closely with the Congolese press corps to introduce the organization to the Congolese public, organized a press conference aboard a Greenpeace ship, and led communications for sola

To mark the opening of Greenpeace’s new office in Kinshasa, I worked closely with the Congolese press corps to introduce the organization to the Congolese public, organized a press conference aboard a Greenpeace ship, and led communications for solar energy workshops in the port towns of Matadi and Boma.

For a story about the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, I spent a week interviewing children of rape, many of whom were HIV positive and orphaned. The man in the blue t-shirt sitting next to me, a UN employee, lost dozens of family members i

For a story about the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, I spent a week interviewing children of rape, many of whom were HIV positive and orphaned. The man in the blue t-shirt sitting next to me, a UN employee, lost dozens of family members in the genocide. Today, Rwanda is one of the safest countries in Africa, with significant economic growth and improvements in living standards. At the same time, the authoritarian regime has little tolerance for any opposition.

Journalism was a great fit for me, given my interest in politics and social justice. I regularly witnessed history firsthand—covering high-profile terrorism trials, funerals of world leaders, numerous elections (including the first unified German el

Journalism was a great fit for me, given my interest in politics and social justice. I regularly witnessed history firsthand—covering high-profile terrorism trials, funerals of world leaders, numerous elections (including the first unified German elections), the Concorde crash, the U.S. anti–Iraq war movement, crackdowns on illegal immigration, and the adoption of the euro. Given my active curiosity about how different people live their lives, I also enjoyed reporting on more routine events, including French strikes and annual car, book, and fashion shows.

I received this thank you photo from children living in the Vesnova Orphanage in southern Belarus. I had reported a feature about them for People Magazine to mark the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident. Most of these kids suffer from physica

I received this thank you photo from children living in the Vesnova Orphanage in southern Belarus. I had reported a feature about them for People Magazine to mark the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident. Most of these kids suffer from physical or mental disabilities, often the result of their parent's experiences following the nuclear disaster. (And a majority of the live-in nurses had had thyroid cancer, a direct result of radiation exposure.)