The Media Professionalism and Democratization conference will be held at Al-Azhar University April 14- 17, 2013. One of the organizing committee members and chair of that conference is Dr. Ahmed S. Hammad, a 2011 alumnus of the Study of the U.S. Institute on Journalism and Media at Ohio University.

Ahmed Hammad presents during the 2011 Study of the U.S. Institute on Journalism and Media at OU.

Some of the main themes of the conference are media performance during democratic transition, peace journalism and crisis communication, and professionalism in new media, among other themes.

Abstracts can be submitted in either Arabic or English and should include the completed abstract and its title, as well as the names, titles and contact information of the paper’s authors and presenter. The organizing scientific research committee will review the abstracts and notify authors of acceptance on Jan. 15, 2013.

For more information, contact Ahmed Hammad at ahmadh30@gmail.com.

The sixth annual forum, which focused on ‘New Media: Theoretical and Practical Challenges,’ was organized by the Saudi Association for Media and Communication (SAMC) from Dec. 1- Dec. 4 at Riyadh Palace Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. SAMC is based at the King Saud University, one of three major national universities in Saudi Arabia.

The SAMC is a pioneering academic association in media and communication that works within Saudi Arabia and in other countries in the Middle East, Asia and northern Africa. The association, in conjunction with King Saud University, annually holds training sessions, offers media and communication academic consultations, and cooperates with media organizations to develop the professional practice for the Saudi journalism and communication workforce.

Some of the association’s main objectives are to raise media awareness, to develop media and communication academic processes, to cement ties with Arab and international media associations, and to grant accreditations to media associations and professionals.

The IIJ became involved with the SAMC because the latter often invites media experts from the Western world to its events to give speeches and lectures. The goal is to enrich the cultural exchange among Saudi Arabia and some Arab and Western countries: Westerners discuss the latest theoretical and applied developments in media, while members of the SAMC help explain Saudi Arabia’s political stances on national, regional and international issues to the world.

Kalyango’s presentation at the forum discussed the impact of social media on political mobilization in East and West Africa.

While in Saudi Arabia, Kalyango was able to meet with the president of King Saud University, as well as some of the professors and journalists. Two of the professors he met are alumni of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, including Dr. Ali Alkarni, professor at King Saud University and Chairman of SAMC. Kalyango was also given a special tour of the university’s main library, which has more than four million titles in Arabic, English and French.

Some other topics discussed during the forum included the role of Twitter on national identities and cultures, and Facebook use in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

According to a tweet he sent during the conference Kalyango said it was impressive to witness many Saudi women professors and young women graduates engaged and participating in academic debates about social media. Also via Twitter, Kalyango said the university provided “excellent hospitality” during his time there.

Technology has improved the way people communicate and socialize, but it has also created a way for hackers to infiltrate the most personal aspects of technology users. This stern warning was delivered by leading experts of cyber security at an event held in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.

Cyber security experts Danny O’Brien and Andrew Lewman have made full time professions out of their mission to protect both journalists and technology users from the threat of hackers.

The two leading experts — hosted by the Institute for International Journalism on Nov. 8 — addressed the virtual online and mobile technology challenges to different forums during a cyber security panel.

“(Spyware) records everything you do, every mouse click, every key log, every snapshot, every 30 seconds so they have an exact trail of what you’ve done,” said Lewman, the executive director of a technology protection-developing group known as the Tor Project.

He explained that the Tor Project was created as a way for all technology users to protect their information, especially when using unsecured connections such as those found in Internet cafes.

O’Brien is the Internet Advocacy Coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists, which protects journalists around the world. The CPJ is a nonprofit organization that works to protect the freedom of communication and journalism from security threats. O’Brien said cyber attacks often come from repressive governments, organized crime or the subjects of stories.

Ohio University visiting professor Andy Alexander also shared his experiences of working as a correspondent and as a free press advocate. Alexander talked about the threats and challenges foreign correspondents faced, then and now, regarding both from tyrannical governments and by warring parties in armed conflicts. He said that today’s journalists face a different and very dangerous type of threat.

Meanwhile, O’Brien said, “It’s important for journalists to keep themselves anonymous, it’s important to tell the sources to protect themselves, and, finally, it’s important for readers and journalists to learn ways of getting around censorship.”

Students and faculty members asked several questions about how they can protect themselves, and about how far they should go to protect themselves.

The panel was part of a program celebrating the Communication and Development Studies program’s 25th anniversary. David Mould, former director of Communication and Development Studies, organized, introduced and moderated the panel.

Panel members included Yusuf Kalyango, director of the Institute for International Journalism; Rafael Obregon, Chief of the Communication for Development Unit at UNICEF; Lauren Brown Vulanovic, a graduate of the Communication and Development Studies program and an employee at Pan American Health Organization, and visiting professor Karen Greiner.

The panel session kicked off with Obregon — also a former director of the Communication and Development Studies program — speaking primarily about the noticeable impact that communication and development studies has had within UNICEF and other agencies. He said that UNICEF has benefitted from many ever-changing communication and development strategies.

David Mould introduces the panel.

Kalyango first discussed the evolution of the Institute of International Journalism since 2008, the year he became director.

Today, he explained, the IIJ has enough money to fund student employees, international conferences and trainings, the publishing and production of research, foreign correspondence internships, and travel scholarships for students to present research around the world.

“If you have a very small program, you have to figure out how to market that and brand it, and find a way of showing that it can manage finances,” he said.

According to Kalyango, that was all possible primarily because of partnerships he worked to establish at the university level and beyond, including one with the Communication and Development Studies program.

For example, the IIJ was approved for one of its grants — the Study of the U.S. Institute on Journalism and Media grant — after the U.S. State Department learned of some of the projects the IIJ and the Communication Development Studies program had done or had in the works.

IIJ conferences and trainings have occurred in countries such as India and Turkey, and students have presented research in countries such as Singapore. The IIJ’s ever-expanding international network includes scholars from more than 50 countries.

According to Greiner, there are many windows of opportunity for various research projects as long as graduate students know where to look and what to do.

In the Communication and Development Studies program, she explained that a group she is part of has started to organize a database of past grant proposals that successfully acquired funded.

Greiner encouraged students interested in consultation or grants, quite simply, to ask about them. When pitching an organization, Greiner emphasized that students should be specific and ready to prove they have done their homework.

She suggested that students should consider proposing research fellowships rather than internships because many organizations do not conduct their own research. She also said students should work to self-finance via grants and funding so the organization will not have to worry about paying them much, if at all.

“There are organizations working in development and social change that don’t have a lot of time to investigate or document or evaluate what they’re doing,” she said. “Many of them evaluate, because if you don’t evaluate and show impact, then you can’t get more funding. But oftentimes they don’t document in the day-to-day.”

Greiner said, in addition to typical communication and development studies skill sets, it is important for students to be able to help an organization explain its actions in terms of theory and research methods, as well as in layman’s terms.

“Communication theory is something that I was surprised that people wanted from me,” she said. “I’ve been flown places to sit in front of USAID and talk fancy.”

Vulanovic, who graduated in 2008, gave advice about some of the things she said she wished she had learned in college.

In addition to knowing methodology and research, Vulanovic said students should learn finance skills such as grant writing, budget planning and evaluation skills. Regarding the latter, she said many people are not able to write appropriate indicators for what they are trying to measure, and explained that having that skill would therefore give students an edge.

“The number one recommendation that I would have for everyone is learn to write grants,” she said. “If you can bring in funding, you can bring in a job.”

During internships, Vulanovic said students should not be afraid to be aggressive, especially if they feel as though they are not being challenged enough or are being ignored.

“Real world experience is so, so valuable,” she said.

Vulanovic added that communication and development skills are important, too, including the use of social networks.

“A lot of the concepts that you’re learning now…are absolutely, 100 percent applicable to stuff that we’re doing in WHO,” she said. “So, don’t lose heart on that — it still works.”

Waititu’s professorship is just one aspect of the 2012-13 Year for African Journalism, which will include other speakers and events throughout the year. The program is a joint effort between the African Studies Program and the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism’s Institute for International Journalism.

Currently, Waititu is teaching Foreign Correspondence, a journalism course consisting mostly of senior undergraduate and graduate students. So far, he has led discussions about embedded journalism, criticisms of U.S. media’s international coverage, and reporting humanitarian crises.

Additionally, he has spoken in classes such as Community Journalism and Modern Africa.

Other events where Waititu has made appearances include a program called Africa Crossroads and a program celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Communication and Development Studies program. During the latter, Waititu presented about one of his papers.

Some of the topics Waititu’s lectures and public events have covered are international media, digital journalism, social media storytelling, long-form storytelling and data journalism.

On Oct. 24, just two days after the presidential debate on foreign policy, Waititu spoke at a Students for Global Media and Diversity meeting about some of the perceptions of U.S. foreign policy held by citizens in developing nations in Africa.

Waititu explained that he typically sets up his lectures in a way that encourages student participation, and said the method has been successful so far.

“Lectures have been great because the students, especially in the Foreign Correspondence class, have been very passionate about their work,” he said. “I am learning a lot from them.”

Waititu said he has received “tremendous support” from the African Studies Program and the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.

He described his professorship as a cycle of sorts, because, although he has been regularly teaching and mentoring students, he has also been receiving mentoring from Yusuf Kalyango, director of the Institute for International Journalism, and Steve Howard, director of the African Studies Program.

Waititu said he has enjoyed both the teaching and learning aspects of his time as the Glidden Visiting Professor.

“My time here has given me a great chance to share my knowledge, but also to learn, reflect and write,” he said.

On Oct. 10, Students for Global Media and Diversity and the African Studies Program co-hosted a welcome reception for Waititu in Scripps Hall. Speakers included Bob Stewart, director of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Steve Howard, director of the African Studies Program at OU, and Waititu himself.

Waititu is an OU alumnus who participated in the graduate programs of both the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and the African Studies Program from 2003 to 2006, obtaining master’s degrees in both. Additionally, he is a past recipient of the Institute for International Journalism’s John R. Wilhelm Foreign Correspondence Internship.

Currently, Waititu is the program director of health and digital media at Internews, an NGO in Nairobi that is supported by the U.S. government, provides training for journalists throughout Africa and has a goal of promoting freedom of expression.

Throughout Fall Semester, Waititu will teach the Foreign Correspondence course and will assist with International Media Systems course lectures. He will also deliver a public lecture about his work at Internews.

Ernest Waititu poses with people affiliated with the IIJ and the African Studies Program after the welcome reception.

Additionally, Waititu will advise students about international opportunities, help create and launch the Scripps College of Communication’s New African Media for Social Change conference, and help plan an IIJ study abroad program.

The Glidden Visiting Professor is hosted by the African Studies Program and by the IIJ. Those organizations will combine to pay for event hospitality and incidentals for Waititu.

Ultimately, the Year for African Journalism aims to capitalize on a noticeable increase of student interest in Africa by teaching students more about African journalism. During Spring Semester, another African media scholar — Kojo Yankah — will come to OU for the African Studies Program’s West African Research Association Residency. Additional events and conferences will be held throughout the year.

The scholars, Godfrey Danaan and Taye Obateru, are both professors at the University of Jos in Nigeria. They arrived at Ohio University on July 28, and will depart for Nigeria from Washington, D.C. on August 17.

Though the program was primarily hosted at OU by the Institute for International Journalism, the residence program also included trips to Chicago, Ill. and Washington D.C.

In Chicago, Obateru and Danaan attended the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication 2012 Conference that occurred mid-August. There, they went to a variety of teaching and research panels, presentations and sessions.

Additionally, they spent five days in Washington, D.C. visiting several media outlets and cultural locations, including National Public Radio, The National Geographic, Voice of America, Smithsonian museums, national monuments and more.

The primary purposes of the residency program are to bolster the participants’ professional development, to teach them journalism techniques and to give them new tools and methods to apply to their careers.

Obateru described the program as “quite diverse” because he has had many different opportunities. Some of those included interacting with international journalism scholars who are participating in the Study of the U.S. Institute on Journalism and Media, listening to lectures from professors from various universities, and learning some digital editing techniques.

“I’ve found it very enriching,” Obateru said of the residence program. “It has broadened my horizon in terms of exposure to things and seeing new things, new situations, new circumstances.”

Professors Taye Obateru and Godfrey Danaan share a laugh during an International Mass Media class led by 2012 SUSI scholars Trang Nguyen and Alexandre Twizeyumukiza.

Danaan, who is visiting the United States for the first time, said he has enjoyed not only learning about the 2012 SUSI scholars’ diverse international perspectives, but also being able to share his own perspectives with others.

“I’ve interacted with so many scholars who have come from all parts of the world to share what they teach and to share what they experience and practice,” he said. “To me, it is the most enriching experience I’ve had because it crosses beyond borders.”

Obateru, too, said that conversations with the 2012 SUSI scholars have been one of his favorite parts of the residence.

Both scholars expressed a desire to practice and teach what they learned at OU upon their return to Nigeria. Danaan said that he believes his students will truly benefit from his international exposure when he shares it with them.

“I know I’ve learned a lot and I’m going back with so much,” he said. “My program should be broadened in the perspectives that have been shared here.”

Obateru said that he is interested in looking into possibilities of partnerships between OU and the University of Jos.

Additionally, they each expressed a desire to one day attend the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism Ph.D. program.

“I’ve fallen in love with the school, with the facilities,” Obateru said.

Both Obateru and Danaan heard about the program from one of their colleagues, Nancy Katu-Ogundimu, who is currently a doctoral graduate student in the School of Media Arts and Studies of the Scripps College of Communication at OU.

Danaan said he was “enticed” when she explained the prospects of programs at OU. According to Danaan, she spoke with Dr. Yusuf Kalyango, Director of the Institute for International Journalism, who agreed to get Obateru and Danaan involved in the International Journalism Educator-in-Residence Program.

Because the program is a cost-share program, it was funded partly by the Institute for International Journalism at Ohio University, and partly by the University of Jos.

The abstract program aims to capitalize on a noticeable increase in student interest in Africa by teaching students more about African journalism. It will do so primarily by bringing two prominent African media scholars to the OU campus — one during Fall Semester and one during Spring Semester. Additional events and conferences will be held as well.

One major part of the Year for African Journalism is that Ernest Waititu will be the Glidden Visiting Professor during Fall Semester. Waititu is an OU alumnus who participated in the graduate programs of both the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and the African Studies Program from 2003 to 2006, obtaining master’s degrees in both. He is currently the program director of health and digital media at Internews in Nairobi.

Internews is a U.S. government-supported NGO that provides training for journalists throughout Africa and has a goal of promoting freedom of expression. In addition to his work with that organization, Waititu founded an online news digest called Afrikanews, and has contributed to various publications in Kenya.

When he was a student at OU, he covered international news for the Athens News and was able to obtain an internship at CNN. Recently, Waititu hosted a workshop for East African journalists at his Internews offices. The workshop focused on health issues, taught techniques in digital journalism and archival research, and encouraged discussion about ethics and other contemporary issues.

As the Glidden Visiting Professor at OU, Waititu will teach the Foreign Correspondence course, and will assist with International Media Systems course lectures. He will also deliver a public lecture about his work at Internews.

Waititu will have many additional responsibilities. He will offer students advice about international opportunities. He will assist members of the African Studies Program and the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism’s Institute for International Journalism with creating and launching the Scripps College of Communication’s New African Media for Social Change conference. Finally, Waititu will help plan the annual IIJ study abroad program, which will ideally take place in Ghana during the 2013-14 school year.

For Spring Semester, Kojo Yankah has agreed to come to OU for the African Studies Program’s West African Research Association Residency. Yankah, who has established himself as a prominent and award-winning media figure in West Africa, has also been a minister in the government of Ghana, and is the founder and president of the African University College of Communication (AUCC). Additionally, Yankah has established his own marketing communications consultancy, Yankah and Associates, is currently a fellow of the Institute of Public Relations, Ghana, and has spent time as its president in the past.

Collaboration between AUCC and OU has increased in recent years with the hope of educating more OU students in communications-related majors about Africa. In the past, OU President Roderick McDavis has given a commencement speech at AUCC, and senior E.W. Scripps School of Journalism faculty member Dr. Ralph Izard has taught classes there. Additionally, the two universities signed a Memorandum of Understanding when Yankah visited the OU campus in August of 2011.

During his month-long residency, Yankah will host a public lecture series about African media issues, which will be streamed on multiple university-related websites. He will also speak to Scripps College of Communication student organizations, sit for interviews with student journalists, speak with local media about African economic and political progress, and be interviewed for the West African Research Association Bulletin.

The Glidden Visiting Professor is hosted by the African Studies Program and by the IIJ. Those organizations will combine to pay for event hospitality and incidentals for Waititu. The West African Research Association residency is sponsored by the African Studies Program, which provides housing for Yankah during his residency.

The IIJ strives to prepare students to work as international journalists and to increase overall international communication. The African Studies Program at OU is one of 10 National Resource Centers for African Studies in the U.S.

Thus far, the funding for six students has been confirmed. One additional student’s funding is pending.

The John R. Wilhelm Foreign Correspondence Internship Program offers funding to students to help them obtain reporting experience abroad, typically for about a 90-day period.

The program is funded by endowed scholarships and has sent more than 280 journalism majors to approximately 35 countries since 1970.

Some countries where the 2012 recipients may intern include Niger, Israel, Senegal, Ukraine, Peru and the United States of America.

The recipients have suggested media outlets such as the Kyiv Post in Ukraine, Télé-Sahel and Tal-TV in Niger, and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting in Washington D.C. as potential places where they will intern.

“Journalism has always been a passion of mine – I love feeling the rush of getting a scoop or uncovering the story of a person or issue that would otherwise go unnoticed,” one recipient wrote in her cover letter. “My dream job would combine journalism and travel into one amazing career path that would offer new adventures and people every day.”

The recipients of the John R. Wilhelm Foreign Correspondence internships have until June 30, 2013 to begin using their funding.

Participants in this conference will focus on how mass media are currently used for health and crisis communication, how mass media could be utilized better in the future, and how technological developments affect the public and communicators.

Please click here for detailed information about the conference themes.

Dr. Erol Nezih Orhon, a 2011 SUSI scholar, is the dean of and a professor in the School of Communication Sciences at Andola University, and helped organize the conference.

The conference is sponsored by the Institute for International Journalism in the Scripps College of Communication at OHIO University; Anadolu University (host of the 2012 conference) in Eskisehir, TURKEY; and the University of Iowa.

Mass media play a crucial role in health and crisis communication. Much of today’s society-level communication happens through mass media channels, such as television, radio, newspapers. Increasingly, communication among individuals or between organizations and their supporters or clients occurs through new media and social media, such as mobile phones, social networking sites, micro blogging sites, and others.

For more information, contact one of the organizing committee members HERE.