Dr. Jeslyn Lemke is a bi-lingual journalist and past journalism professor in the Pacific Northwest. Her research and coverage area focuses on francophone West Africa. In December 2024, she attended a workshop in Accra, Ghana with leading African media scholars to present research on media freedom and democracy in Africa, hosted by University of Toronto. She holds a Ph.D. in Media Studies from University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. Her doctoral dissertation led her to conduct field research in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire on the country's 2010-2011 election crisis. Her research on journalism in Senegal and Cote d'Ivoire has been published in International Journal of Communication, Journal of African Media Studies and African Journalism Studies.