We discussed this early in the course, but let me go over once again what the news analysis is. While your shorter web stories have reported on events ( they have told us that something has happened), your news analysis should try and explain why something has happened, and what its implications are. For example, we know that violence and protests have broken out again in Cairo, several months after the Mubarak regime was overthrown. A news analysis would try and why this has happened. What are the causes for this unrest? Who are the protestors? What does this mean for other countries? You are unlikely to get definitive answers to the questions you raise in your news analysis ( very few issues have clear cut answers), but you can give your reader an idea of what the different opinions are on your topic. The important thing is to find a topic that you find interesting, and which your readers will find interesting.
> Where will you get material for your news analysis? The same kind of sources you used for your web stories- news reports, reports from think tanks, and e mail and phone interviews with experts.
> How long should it be? Around 750 words. The deadline: Dec. 1.
> The deadline for the last of your web stories in Nov 28, when we have our last class.
> For our last class, we will be talking via skype with Bethany Matta, a former MJ student who is now in Afghanistan. She will be in Kandahar on that day, and I hope the skype connections are OK. She is not going to be giving a talk or lecture; this will be more of a question and answer session about her work and life in Afghanistan. Check her twitter feed http://twitter.com/BethanyMatta.
> We will have our presentations from our last group on the poisoned fruits of globalization.
> I’m going to be ordering pizza, and will bring a bottle or two of wine for a small after course celebration after class. Weather permitting, we can meet outside Eliot Hall, and use the stone tables in front of DM lab. Feel free to bring any food and drink….Hope you can all make it!
Just to remind you, our next class will be the lecture tomorrow by Peter Arnett on his experiences reporting wars from Vietnam to Afghanistan. This will be from 3.30 to 5 at the Foundation Chamber, followed by a reception. For more about Peter, read here http://jmsc.hku.hk/2011/10/nov-11-pulitzer-prize-winner-peter-arnett-lecture-on-interviewing-enemies/.
We will not have a class next Monday, and will instead meet on Monday November 21. Peter, who now teaches at Shantou University was not free to talk to us at our regular class time, so I hope as many of you as possible will be able to make it tomorrow.
As discussed last week, on Monday we will do our “live” reporting exercise, so please bring your laptops to class. If you do not have a laptop, check one out from the JMSC digital lab.
We will all be reporters at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Monday evening, and will be reporting on a United Nations Security Council resolution on Syria. To find out more about the Security Council, go here http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/ and read the sections on background, members, and powers. The resolution was defeated by Russia and China but supported by the western powers, and we will watch the press conferences that various countries gave after the vote on the resolution, and then write a story. Here is a link to the press release that the UN put out after the vote http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=39935&Cr=syria&Cr1=. Read it for background information. Here is a record of what countries said during the Security Council meeting: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=39935&Cr=syria&Cr1=.
Here is the draft resolution which was defeated: http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N11/531/31/PDF/N1153131.pdf?OpenElement.
All of this is background material which you can refer to and use in your story. However, the lead for the story will come from the press conferences that we will be watching.
I will go through all of this with you in more detail in class…don’t worry, it is not as hard as it looks! It’s a pretty big story and you will have fund writing it.
In the meanwhile, I hope all of you have received my comments on the first draft of your web stories. I will be putting up more completed stories over the weekend.. Please try and find nice pictures…the site looks pretty heavy and boring otherwise.
See you all on Monday..
I have uploaded the schedule for presentations of our web stories. The Afghanistan group will go first on September 26 ( you might get extra credit for being the first!) followed by all the others. Let me know if there is a problem with these dates. As discussed in class, each of you will write one story a month in your area ( three during the course). Send me each story when done, and I will discuss with you, edit and upload to our news site. Every week, one group will present the stories it has done till date to the class. Please get in touch with your respective groups and meet to discuss story ideas. This is to ensure that you do not all do the same stories, and also so that you can share ideas. By Monday I hope you will have an idea of at least what your first story is going to be. Also, I expect you to have signed up, if you have not already done so, for news alerts in your area.
We will be discussing reporting around some of the “poisoned fruits of globalisation”, such as people smuggling and drug trafficking in our second class. I have sent out the readings by e mail. Hope you have signed up for various news alerts, and are following major international developments closely.We will spend the second half of the dividing into groups for your reporting assignments. Think about which of the areas we discussed during the first class interest you. Otherwise make me some new suggestions. See you all on Monday..
Welcome to the course site for JMSC 6048, International News Reporting. I have posted the course syllabus as well as links to useful resources. I will also be posting lecture power points after classes, as well as any updates. Looking forward to our first class on Monday, September 5.
