Help fund Speak Out Tunisia, a citizen journalism training project with UM’s Anne Medley as the lead instructor. Tunisia’s dictator, Ben Ali, fell early in 2011, but after 23 years without a free press, the country’s news media are ill prepared for a democratic society. Speak Out Tunisia, was created, in large part, by Tunisian PaCTE (Pacte des Compétences Tunisiennes Engagées), a citizen project formed immediately after the revolution to bring together Tunisians and supporters to help build a better Tunisia.

Anne will train two groups of citizen journalists in digital media and online journalism. She launched a similar multimedia education project “Congo in Focus” in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2010.

The project is raising money through Kickstarter. Please donate to get this worthy project going!

 

 

International Week at UM actually kicked off Sunday with the International Culture and Food Festival. Here is the schedule for a full week of events.

A select group of university students and young professionals will spend an intensive month living in one of the world’s greatest cities, where they’ll practice working as foreign correspondents. Students will report, write, blog and shoot basic video about Istanbul’s culture, neighborhoods, politics, life, people and arts, and create a web magazine and book about their experience.

Turkish flag-seller in Istanbul

Live in one of the great cities of the world AND study international journalism? What could be sweeter? IEI Media, a partnership between two American universities and a Turkish university is hosting this summer project:

IEI also hosts the Perpignan Project this summer (see previous post), where former photoJ grad students and TAs Anne Medley and Brian McDermott will be teaching.

New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof announces the 10 finalists for two slots on his annual Win-a-Trip contest. This year, he’ll take a college-age student and a senior citizen. All are impressive, and you can tell him–or readers of this blog–which ones you think should go.

Check out this new Student Guide to the Gap or Bridge Year Experience:

Why taking the road less traveled by can make all the difference.

Today, more and more students are making the decision to step off the formal education treadmill for a semester or a year. Some choose to do it between high school and college, others during their post-secondary years or directly after finally taking home that coveted diploma.

But far from taking time off, those students taking a “gap” or “bridge” year are spending their time on a whole host of constructive activities. And as they do so, there is a growing consensus that taking a “gap” or “bridge” year may well be the best step to ensuring that a student successfully transitions from high school to college or the world of work.

 

Know your way around a whitewater raft or a mountain bike or a climbing rope, and can also shoot photos and write? Here’s an interesting opportunity in India, sent by grad Alli Kwesell. She writes:

I’m looking to hire some international trip leaders — we focus on backpacking, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, ropes courses, mtn. biking — and are looking for people who are also photogs / writers to not only lead trips but help with promoting the camp — through a blog as well as our publications.

The pay is bad, but good enough to have a great experience and probably break even. Our season is April 10 – mid-July.

Interested in living at a Cambodian orphanage and teaching English for 6 months or a year? Check out
http://www.eglobalfamily.org/
…and they’re looking to hire someone reliable. It’s not a journalism job, but it would put the person in a great place to do stories.
Call or come see me if you’re interested…

eGlobal Family – Connecting Caring People With Children In Need

www.eglobalfamily.org

Learn about study abroad opportunities specifically for journalism majors…Talk with former UM study abroad students…Wednesday, Feb. 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the J-school lobby

The Institute for Education in International Media (ieiMedia) is now accepting applications for summer media programs in France, Italy and Turkey.

Students spend four weeks studying international reporting and media skills (multimedia, video or magazine) and reporting on the host community. They then create a publication (website, magazine or book) about the city. The programs are open to English-speaking students from all colleges and universities, as well as recent graduates. Preference given journalism, media or mass communication majors and students with experience on a college or professional publication.

ITALY: Urbino (Academic partners: Iowa State University/James Madison University)

Section 1: Multimedia Reporting or Section 2: Magazine Publishing

June 9-July 7, 2011

Urbino lies in the northern part of central Italy’s Marche Region, nestled between the Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea. Students will live and learn at the University of Urbino, with all meals included. Students who sign up for the magazine publishing project will produce Urbino Now, a digital English-language magazine. Those who sign up for Multimedia Reporting will study photography, international reporting and video and produce a website about the city. For examples of previous student projects see InUrbino.net and Urbino Now magazine.

FRANCE: Perpignan (Academic partner: San Francisco State University)

June 23-July 23, 2011

Study multimedia storytelling and French language and culture in this charming Catalan city near the Spanish border. Students will study blogging, shooting and editing video, and international reporting and create a multimedia website about the community. Perpignan lies in the Languedoc region of southwestern France, 8 miles west of the Mediterranean Sea and 19 miles north of the Spanish border, within sight of the Pyrenees.  Students will live in air-conditioned studios in a modern hotel and study French at a respected language academy. For examples of previous student work see InPerpignan.net .

TURKEY: Istanbul (Academic partners: San Francisco State University/Winston-Salem State University)

June 23-July 21, 2011

Come report on this exotic yet sophisticated city, the only major metropolis that straddles two continents, Asia and Europe. Students will cover street life, politics, culture and the arts, while learning about blogging, basic multimedia techniques and Turkish language and culture. Stories will be published on a website and considered for inclusion in a book about the city. Students will live in a modern dormitory.

All programs are $4,995 plus airfare. Program fee includes tuition, housing, ground transportation from airport to host site and cultural activities.

Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal have now been held captive in Iran longer than the 52 American citizens in the hostage crisis of 1979-81. Their companion, Sarah Shourd, was released on Sept. 14, after her family–or someone–posted a huge bond. Now the Iranian government has announced–two weeks before nuclear talks are set to resume–that Shane and Josh will be tried starting Nov. 6  for not only illegal entry but also for spying. Observers believe there is undoubtedly a cruel and cynical link between these two events. Trying them for anything is wrong, and tying their trial to the nuclear talks makes about as much sense as a schools superintendent tying detention of two first-graders for not having a hall pass to merit pay for teachers. Or make up your own analogy. Or write to the Iranian government. This is nuts.