School of Journalism at U of M hosts visiting Asian journalists

The University of Minnesota’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) recently hosted ten journalists from East Asia and the Pacific Rim as part of the U.S. Department of State’s Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists.  The University of Minnesota’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) recently hosted ten journalists from East Asia and the Pacific Rim as part of the U.S. Department of State’s Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists. 

The Murrow Program is an innovative public-private partnership between the Department of State, the Aspen Institute, and ten leading U.S. schools of journalism.  The program brought approximately 160 journalists from independent media outlets around the world to the United States to examine journalistic principles and practices, both in the United States and around the world, and interact with professional journalists and experts in the field. 
 
“The Murrow Program is a wonderful opportunity for us to engage and contribute to an international discussion about press freedoms and responsibilities in a changing world,” said SJMC director Albert Tims.  “We are thrilled to participate in the fourth annual program and are excited to exchange ideas with our visitors about how we can help promote vigorous and responsible journalism around the world.”
 
After a four-day orientation in Washington, D.C., the international journalists were divided into groups and traveled to one of the ten partner institutions, including the University of Minnesota.  The other nine institutions include Jackson State University, Marquette University, University of Maryland, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Oklahoma, University of Southern California, Syracuse University, University of Tennessee, and Texas Christian University. 
  
Kathleen A. Hansen (c) Director and Professor, Minnesota Journalism Center, School of Journalism and Mass Communication University of Minnesota, with visiting journalists
 
The ten journalists who visited the SJMC hail from the People’s Republic of China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan, and hold positions in television and print in their home countries. The SJMC designed a specialized agenda for the group’s visit, including seminars led by SJMC faculty on international relations and press freedom, a visit to the Star Tribune to observe professional working journalists, a visit to 3M and General Mills to learn about international business innovation, and a trip to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis where they were able to learn about monetary policy and international trade. The journalists also participated in a roundtable discussion about U.S. foreign policy with local journalists and participated in a discussion with the China Center and Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.
 
Following their visit to the SJMC, the ten journalists traveled to Little Rock, AR where they would examine the roles and responsibilities of state and local governments, learn about the importance of the civil rights movement in U.S. history, and observe media coverage of politics, governance, and civic engagement first hand.  The program concluded in New York City, with visits to major media outlets and a symposium on the future of journalism globally.