Muskie [7]fellow Svetlana Kurtova, a non-profit program manager from Russia, knows the importance of effective communications. While studying in American University [8]’s Master of Public Administration program, Kurtova is expanding her creative and technical skills at ATV [9], American University’s student-run television station.
Kurtova serves as a crewmember for ATV’s public affairs programs, filming segments for The Body Politic [10] and the AU Debate Forum [11]. “It’s useful because I learn about American political events,” Kurtova said. “I’m also learning about management and technology.” In addition to working a camera, Kurtova runs a teleprompter and helps with sound and lighting. She participates in weekly writers’ meetings and hopes that her contributions will earn her an on-air writing credit in the future.
Working at ATV exposes Kurtova to different points of view and new forums for political expression. She filmed debates on health care reform, female images in mass media, and smoking policies on campus. The ATV crew spent an evening on the National Mall conducting interviews with citizens attending the Daily Show’s Rally to Restore Sanity [12]. “I appreciated that everyone was happy to express themselves,” Kurtova commented. “It was in a funny way but still showed their ideas.”
Kurtova sought out a position at the station as a way to improve her knowledge of telecommunications. Although she doesn’t plan to become a journalist, Kurtova connects the skills she is gaining at ATV with the work that she will do in the future. She knows that non-profits need strong communications to demonstrate their valuable work. “It’s good to have someone who knows how to make videos,” Kurtova explained. “This is a window, a medium to transport ideas to a wider audience.”
Prior to becoming a Muskie fellow, Kurtova worked in Russia as a legal specialist and later supported an Internet access program and a youth education initiative. In the future, Kurtova plans to continue working at non-profits that give people new opportunities. “I can use [video skills] to support civil society and human rights,” Kurtova said. “It’s my big vision.”
The Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program [7] is administered by IREX and funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State [13].