Good M orning! M CS1250 Introduction to Journalism October 2016, Ulrich Werner, Adj. Prof. (IIS-RU)
What’s on the M enue for this Week? 1. Introduction to International Journalism 2. Journalists’ Safety and Press Rights Defenders 3. The Life of International Correspondents 4. Covering the World News from Home
The Role of International Correspondents Video, about 13 minutes
“It’s not the work that makes us tired at the end of the day. It’s the way we communicate with each other.” Navbahor Imamova, Turkmenistan VoA Washington DC
Covering the World News from Home.
Covering the World News from Home • In the reality of our times, events that happen a continent away may have direct and indirect effect in our backyards – and in the backyards of our local audiences • It may be an earthquake, a political revolution, a disease outbreak, a refugee crisis, a plain crash, an election, they are among many other events that have wide applications.
Covering the World News from Home • Three quick examples: – M illions of refugees from Syria (Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey as direct neighbours; Europe, USA, Canada as destinations for many) – The 2004 Tsunami in the Indian Ocean killed 230,000 people in 14 countries – The 2010 volcanic eruption on Iceland caused all major European airports to close; about 107,000 flights were cancelled and millions of passengers were left stranded • Each of these examples is likely to have affected people in your local community
Covering the World News from Home • How can you as a journalist take advantage of such events to make foreign news relevant to your own reader, listeners, and viewers? • How to find and how to tell stories that show the impact of international events on local audiences? • How can you identify and reach the news sources you need for your reporting?
Covering the World News from Home Five steps to your news report: 1. Find your news report idea 2. Identify news sources you need 3. Contact sources 4. Conduct interviews 5. M ake the local connection to the international event through your news report
Covering the World News from Home • What is the impact on local drivers if oil prices in M iddle East go up or down? • What’s the impact of a foreign disease outbreak like Ebola or Zika • Some of these opportunities may come from disasters or diseases, but others can be what audiences would consider ‘positive news’
Covering the World News from Home • Example: When local athletes are going to compete on international events (Olympic Games, Paralympics, SEA Games, etc.), they are ideal objects for you to profile in print, online, on television, or on radio • International exchange students attending a local school or university are good subject for a profile • When QEII celebrated her 60 th jubilee on the throne, Brits all over the world gathered for celebrations – which are newsworthy
Covering the World News from Home • Decide who can be knowledgeable news sources for your report • In the case of the sports athletes, that includes the athletes themselves, other members of their team, and their coaches, of course • News sources also may include relatives and friends who live in your local area • If you’re going to profiles exchange students, logical sources are the students themselves, their teachers, and their classmates, but they also include local host families students may be living with
Covering the World News from Home • In other cases that happened far away, it may be useful to turn to Facebook, Twitter and other social networks to croud source • That helps you find sources you otherwise wouldn’t know about • Decide the fastest and most efficient way to contact these sources: First contact by phone, email, text, or SM S to set up the interviews • Y ou often find Skye and email addresses by online search or asking other news sources
Covering the World News from Home 1. First choice are always face-to-face interviews, they provide you with the chance to photos and documents 2. Skype interviews are second choice 3. Email interviews have very limited value other than getting a few facts or verifying basic information 4. If your sources are in another country, remember time zone differences!
Covering the World News from Home • Do the interviews. Conduct the other background research for your news report • Look for examples and anecdotes and put a human face on the news whether it’s an upbeat situation or a tragedy • Y ou want your audience to feel a relationship or a connection
Covering the World News from Home • Remember that the international event is the reason or the hook, you are doing that news report now • Don’t duplicate what the international media already have reported • Do it in a distinctive ways that makes clear the local connection with the international events
Assignment No. 6 consis t of 2 parts. Please find it on the Web page. Have a good weekend!
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