Malak Habbak is a storyteller and strategic communicator who excels at distilling complex topics into clear, compelling narratives that resonate with a wide range of audiences. She's skilled at aligning cross-functional teams around shared goals, translating detailed information into messaging that lands, and thriving under tight deadlines in fast-moving environments.

 

She is currently an Emmy-award winning producer at CBS Mornings. In that role, she has written and managed the edit of hundreds of news stories, from the National Guard's deployment of troops to Los Angeles as thousands protest immigration raids; to DOGE's federal workers lay-offs across the U.S, to the nationwide college campus protests calling for an end to the war in Gaza. 

 

Over the past decade, she has worked for print, digital, and broadcast outlets, including CBS Mornings, CBS Evening News, 60 Minutes, The Intercept, Arcadia Weekly, Pasadena Independent, Capital Public Radio, and Al Jazeera English.​

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As an editorial fellow at The Intercept, she assisted reporters, fact-checkers, and researchers on projects, ranging from an investigation into a Louisiana town plagued by pollution to a study of U.S. government prosecutions since the 9/11 attacks.

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As a local reporter, she covered the Los Angeles Women’s March and Pasadena rally for the Pasadena Independent, wrote a feature story about a physician who dedicates his life to street performance for Monrovia Weekly, and covered local news and city council for Arcadia Weekly.

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At 60 Minutes Malak translated interviews for Scott Pelley’s team in Syria and co-produced a segment overlooking the U.S. war in Afghanistan. She also provided in-depth research on Russian money in connection to the Trump Organization’s real-estate.

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In collaboration with Capital Public Radio, Malak helped research and launch the station’s first digital series, “A Year At Encina,” exploring challenges, culture, and resilience in suburban Sacramento. Malak also produced a photo essay on an Iraqi teenager whose life changed while learning English at Encina Preparatory High School.

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During her university years, Malak covered the education beat for The Poly Post, reporting on topics that ranged from campus policies, protests, and elections to research grants and budget cuts for a readership of 20,000 students and staff.

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She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Communication and an emphasis on Journalism from Cal Poly Pomona in 2016. Malak was recognized by her department with an Outstanding Graduating Student Award and by the university library for Best Undergraduate Student Project for a research paper on National Public Radio’s efforts to innovate and stay socially relevant in the face of changing technology and new media. In her free time, Malak enjoys the outdoors, painting, reading, photography, and travel.