Panel Discusses US-Middle East Journalism Faculty Exchanges

As the world of broadcast becomes increasingly globalized, US educators are focusing on the international component of journalism studies. Student and faculty exchanges, academic study of international broadcasting, and the development of relationships and joint degrees between universities contribute not only to the improvement of the education of US journalism students but also to the experiences US educators can draw upon in the classroom.

The 52nd Annual Broadcast Education Association (BEA) convention, which ran concurrently to the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention, featured several panels with an international focus. The panel “Promoting Transparency through Journalism Education in the Middle East” focused on lessons learned from the Promoting Transparency project, a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State and administered by IREX. The project works in partnership with universities in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Yemen, and the United States to expand the capacity of journalism educators to prepare the next generation of media professionals who will work to promote transparent government through their reporting.

The panel, moderated by IREX Media Director Mark Whitehouse, included three participants from the project’s US host universities: Professors Sheila Tefft of Emory University, Max Grubb of Kent State University, and Sam Swan of the University of Tennessee - Knoxville. The professors discussed the benefits of their working visits to host universities in Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan. On these working visits they consulted with colleagues in the journalism faculties to discuss approaches to teaching journalism, how to encourage students to gain a more practical education in journalism, and to learn and appreciate the value of professional reporting focused on transparency in government and business. After the initial US visits, the Middle East partners visited the US universities to observe US teaching methods and approaches and discuss new ideas and concepts in education with colleagues and their students. Follow-up visits will be made to close out the project later this year.

Whitehouse also presented on another panel at the BEA, “Expanding Frontiers: Teaching International News Reporting in the American University Classroom.” The panel discussed methods of engaging US students in understanding the global nature of broadcast news. The Promoting Transparency program, among others, was also cited as an approach to engaging students and professors.

To learn more about the project, visit the Promoting Transparency web page.