Kelly is a PhD researcher at Staffordshire University, focusing on how journalists have been targeted by states during conflicts, if and how established codified norms are changing, and what the effects are.
A faculty member at the University of Colorado’s College of Media, Communication and Information, Kelly serves as a Lecturer in Communication. She also teaches Media, Culture, and Identity at the University of Florida, an interdisciplinary course that analyzes how the media represents groups, identities, and issues and how these representations can impact opinions and behaviors.
A working journalist, Kelly is a senior writer and editor for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which provides news and information to countries without a free press. As a contributor to Foreign Policy Magazine, she investigates and analyzes complex international issues. Kelly spent seven years reporting about human rights, international relations, and security for Radio Free Asia.
In addition to academia and journalism, Kelly has been engaged with multiple international human rights NGOs and civil society organizations on communications, policy, and strategic planning.
Her topical expertise is in human rights; press freedom and freedom of expression; disinformation/misinformation; media and democracy; political and non-profit communication; and media, culture, and identity.