Mahdi Krayem is a Lebanese journalist and researcher covering political and social affairs. Based in Beirut, he serves as communications coordinator at SMEX, a digital rights organization, and coordinates Lebanon's Freedom of Opinion and Expression Coalition. His work has appeared in several Lebanese and Arab outlets, including Al-Nahar and Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, as well as independent platforms like Megaphone and Manateq Net. His journalism focuses on marginalized communities, civil liberties, and digital rights. He has written extensively on the conditions facing farmers, fishermen, women, and other underserved groups. He has also reported from the field on Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon and has produced dozens of pieces on digital rights across the Arab world. Mahdi holds a master's degree in international relations from the Lebanese University, where his thesis examined Russian-Turkish relations in the context of the Syrian crisis. He is currently pursuing a PhD in political science.