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INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISM - JRN323 Fall 2024
Course
Andrew Giarelli
This course introduces students to the history and current practice of international journalism. Students use classic as well as contemporary examples of international reporting as models for their own writing assignments.
This version of the course will use a newsroom simulation format around which to build in-class and out-of-class assignments. NOTE: You must bring a laptop computer to each class for in-class writing assignments.
International Journalism
Course code: JRN 323
Semester and year:
Day and time: Tuesdays 15:30-18:15, Room 2.04
Instructor: Andrew L. Giarelli, Ph.D.
Instructor contact: andrew.giarelli@aauni.edu
Consultation hours: Tuesdays 12-2 on MS-Teams or by appointment
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Credits US/ECTS |
3/6 |
Level |
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Length |
3 weeks |
Pre-requisite |
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Contact hours |
42 hours |
Course type |
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1. Course Description
This course introduces students to the history and current practice of international journalism. Students use classic as well as contemporary examples of international reporting as models for their own writing assignments.
This version of the course will use a newsroom simulation format around which to build in-class and out-of-class assignments. NOTE: You must bring a laptop computer to each class for in-class writing assignments.
2. Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
· Identify and use international reporting techniques.
· Write breaking and ongoing international news leads, summaries and full stories on deadline.
3. Reading Material
Required Materials (We will use all of these news sources. The required long articles are all available on NEO)
- The Associated Press World News
- Reuters World
- Voxeurop.eu
- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
- The World From PRX
- Global Voices
- International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
- Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)
- bellingcat
- Centre for Information Resilience
- Afghan Witness
- Geoconfirmed
- CNN World
- BBC News
- Al Jazeera
- BBC News Russian on Substack
- Kyiv Independent
Long Investigative Articles:
1) Cecilia Anesi, Giulio Rubino, Pavla Holcova, and Jan Kuciak. “Going Bananas: Flanders Transformed into Hub for International Cocaine Trafficking.” OCCRP, July 20, 2018.
2) Cecilia Anesi, Luca Rinaldi, Giulio Rubino, and Lorenzo Bagnoli. “Unfinished Lives, Unfinished Justice: The Cocaine Cowboys.” OCCRP, Feb. 22, 2019.
3) Ilya Barabanov and Anastasia Lotareva. “Wagner’s Inheritance: What Has Happened to Yevgeny Prighozin’s Assets?” BBC News Russian, June 28, 2024.
5) Christopher Giles, “A New Tool Shows What War Has Done to Ukraine’s Forests.” Bellingcat Au. 18, 2023.
6) Christo Grozev, “The Remote Control Killers Behind Russia’s Cruise Missile Strikes on Ukraine.” Bellingcat, Oct. 24, 2022.
8) Johannes Kaiser, Christope Lehermayr, Sebastian Reinhart, Addendum (republished in voxeurop). “How Timber Smugglers Are Destroying Europe’s Last Primeval Forests. Part I: the Romanian Eldorado.” Sept. 3, 2020.
9) “How Timber Smugglers Are Destroying Europe’s Last Primeval Forests. Part II: The Timber Mafia,” Aug. 27, 2020.
10) Jan Kuciak, “Italian Farms, Slovak Soil.” OCCRP, Feb. 27, 2018.
11) ________, “The Model, The Mafia, and the Murderers.” OCCRP Feb. 28, 2018.
12) “The Money Farmers: How Oligarchs and Populists Milk the EU For Millions” https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/03/world/europe/eu-farm-subsidy-hungary.html
13) Maddie Stone, “The World’s Largest Tropical Wetland Is On Fire.” Vice, July 30, 2020.
14) __________, “An Enormous Wetland in Argentina is Burning Out of Control.” Vice, Aug. 12, 2020.
Recommended Materials:
· You should read, watch and listen to international news and feature stories regularly from news media with a variety of editorial viewpoints. Recommended English-language newspapers and magazines with full online versions are The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, The Spectator, The Economist, and The Guardian. Recommended broadcast outlets with full online versions (besides CNN, above) are ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, BBC News, and Al Jazeera News.
4. Teaching methodology
Many classes will start as simulated editorial meetings based on that morning’s breaking news, followed by lead and news digest exercises. They may follow with in-depth analysis of stories on specific topics as noted in the calendar below, guest speakers, and/or group reporting and writing exercises aimed at producing publishable international news stories.
Guests will form an important part of the class, bringing outside real-world experience as international journalists or else serving as sources for student stories. They will include:
Satar Furogh, RFE/RL Afghan on-air news presenter and AAU journalism graduate
Irina Sterpu, Vocea Basarabiei (Moldova) radio-TV journalist and AAU journalism graduate
Michaela Terenzani, foreign news editor, SME (leading Slovak daily)
Ksenia Churmanova, reporter, BBC News Russian
5. Course Schedule (please note: each session has a 15 minute break starting around 16:50-17:00, depending on where we are). Readings are to be done for the session in which they are listed.
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Date |
Class Agenda |
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Session 1 Tuesday Sept. 3 |
Topic: Writing Breaking International News Description: 1) Course Introduction 2) Deadline Lead Writing Exercises from Breaking International News 3) Composing a Breaking International News Summary Reading: Assignments/deadlines: In-class writing of leads and breaking news summary as noted above. |
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Session 2 Tuesday Sept. 10 |
Topic: Writing Breaking International News Description: 1) Deadline Lead Writing Exercises from Breaking International News 2) Composing a Daily International News Summary 3) Case Study: Murdered Slovak Journalist Jan Kuciak and his colleagues, working with the Sarajevo-based Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and The New York Times, uncovered European corruption at the highest and most dangerous levels. Reading: 1) Jan Kuciak, “Italian Farms, Slovak Soil.” OCCRP, Feb. 27, 2018. 2) Jan Kuciak et al., “The Model, The Mafia, and the Murderers.” OCCRP Feb. 28, 2018 Assignments/deadlines: In-class writing of leads and daily news summary as noted above. |
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Session 3 Tuesday Sept. 17 |
Topic: Writing Breaking International News Description: 1) Deadline Lead Writing Exercises from Breaking International News 2) Composing a Daily International News Summary 3) Case Study: The International Cocaine Trail. OCCR reporters following the late Jan Kuciak’s lead further investigate how cocaine travels via organized crime. Reading: 1) Cecilia Anesi, Giulio Rubino, Pavla Holcova, and Jan Kuciak. “Going Bananas: Flanders Transformed into Hub for International Cocaine Trafficking.” OCCRP, July 20, 2018. 2) Cecilia Anesi, Luca Rinaldi, Giulio Rubino, and Lorenzo Bagnoli. “Unfinished Lives, Unfinished Justice: The Cocaine Cowboys.” OCCRP, Feb. 22, 2019. Assignments/deadlines: In-class writing of leads and daily news summary as noted above. |
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Session 4 Tuesday Sept. 24 |
Topic: Writing Breaking International News, Regional Focus Description: 1) Composing a Daily Regional News Summary: Central Europe 2) Case Study: Covering central-eastern Europe’s populist leaders and oligarch politicians. Slovakia and Hungary. The Czech Republic’s nearest neighbors to the east have become flashpoints in debates over EU support for Ukraine and government control of news media. 3) Guest: Michaela Terenzani, foreign news editor, SME (largest Slovak news daily). 4) Introducing major writing assignment 1, an 800-word international news story update with some original reporting. Reading: 1) Selam Gebredikan, Matt Apuzzo, and Benjamin Novak. “The Money Farmers: How Oligarchs and Populists Milk the EU for Millions. The New York Times, Nov. 3, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/03/world/europe/eu-farm-subsidy-hungary.html 2) Selected “Last Week in Slovakia” newsletters from The Slovak Spectator (English-language edition of SME) Assignments/deadlines: In-class writing of daily news summary as noted above. |
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Session 5 Tuesday Oct. 1 |
Topic: Writing Breaking International News, Regional Focus Description: 1) Composing a Daily Regional News Summary: Africa/Near East 2) Case Study: TBA, based on breaking/ongoing major news in the selected region. Reading: TBA. Assignments/deadlines: In-class writing of daily news summary as noted above. |
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Session 6 Tuesday Oct. 8 |
Topic: Investigative Environmental Reporting Description: 1) Composing a Daily Topical News Summary: Environmental News 2) Case Study: Investigative Reporting on World Deforestation Reading: 1) Johannes Kaiser, Christope Lehermayr, Sebastian Reinhart, Addendum (republished in voxeurop). “How Timber Smugglers Are Destroying Europe’s Last Primeval Forests. Part I: the Romanian Eldorado.” Sept. 3, 2020. 2) “How Timber Smugglers Are Destroying Europe’s Last Primeval Forests. Part II: The Timber Mafia,” Aug. 27, 2020. 3) Maddie Stone, “The World’s Largest Tropical Wetland Is On Fire.” Vice, July 30, 2020. 4) Maddie Stone, “An Enormous Wetland in Argentina is Burning Out of Control.” Vice, Aug. 12, 2020 Assignments/Deadlines: In-class writing as noted above. |
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Session 7 Tuesday Oct. 15 |
Topic: War Reporting Description: 1) Composing a Daily War News Summary (Ukraine war) 2) Case Study: Covering the Ukraine War 3) Guest: Ksenia Churmanova, reporter, BBC News Russian. Reading: 2) Ilya Barabanov and Anastasia Lotareva. “Wagner’s Inheritance: What Has Happened to Yevgeny Prighozin’s Assets?” BBC News Russian, June 28, 2024. Assignments/deadlines: In-class writing of daily news summary as noted above. |
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Session 8 Tuesday Oct. 22 |
Topic: War Reporting Description: 1) Composing a Daily War News Summary (Ukraine war) 2) Case Study: Repercussions of the Ukraine War 3) Guest: Irina Sterpu, Vocea Basarabiei (Moldova) radio-TV journalist and AAU journalism graduate Reading: 1) Christopher Giles, “A New Tool Shows What War Has Done to Ukraine’s Forests.” Bellingcat, Aug. 18, 2023. 2) Andrew Giarelli, “Terror and Truth in Southern Ukraine.” 3) Andrew Giarelli, “This Ticking Time Bomb On Our Border” Assignments/deadlines: 1) In-class writing of daily news summary as noted above. 2) Major Reporting and Writing Assignment 1 due on NEO 11:59 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25. |
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Oct. 29 |
NO CLASS (Midterm Break) |
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Session 9 Tuesday Nov. 5 |
Topic: New Tools in International Reporting Description: How do investigative journalism consortia like ICIJ and OCCRP obtain and use public and leaked private financial data like that in the Panama, Paradise and Pandora Papers? Read 1) ICIJ, "Offshore Leaks Database", 2) "Data Sources" 3) ICIJ, “ICIJ Releases Paradise Papers Data from Appleby” 4) "Pandora Papers Global View"
Introducing major writing assignment 2, an 800-word news story update with some original reporting. |
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Session 10 Tuesday Nov. 12 |
Topic: New Tools in International Reporting Description: How do organizations like Geoconfirmed and The Centre for Information Resilience use geolocation, open-source data, and social media analysis to track human rights abuses and wars? 1) Christo Grozev, “The Remote Control Killers Behind Russia’s Cruise Missile Strikes on Ukraine.” Bellingcat, Oct. 24, 2022 2) Center for Information Resilience, "Eyes on Russia Map" 3) Afghan Witness, “Afghan Witness Map” and “Afghan Witness Social Media User Survey” 4) Geoconfirmed maps (conflict map to be selected based on current breaking news) Assignments/Deadlines: In-class use of online tools described above. |
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Session 11 Tuesday Nov. 19 |
Topic: Focus on the Caucasus and Central Asia Description: A showdown between pro- and anti-Russian forces in Georgia, continued tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and hardening Taliban repression in Afghanistan are some of the major ongoing stories. 1) Guest: Satar Furogh, RFE/RL Afghan on-air news presenter and AAU journalism graduate Reading: TBA, based on current breaking regional news. Assignments: In-class interview of guest by students. |
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Session 12 Tuesday Nov. 26 |
Topic: Field Trip to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Headquarters, Prague. Description: We’ll visit this historic, vast journalistic complex in Prague, as respected now for broadcasting news to countries where truth is often banned, distorted and punished as it was during the Cold War. Reading: Selected Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty stories, depending on breaking news. URL: https://www.rferl.org Assignments/deadlines: In-class interview of RFE/RL personnel by students. |
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Session 13 Tuesday Dec. 3 |
Topic: Following Up, New Trails Description: Let’s try to follow up on some of the investigative reporting we’ve been studying, using some of its tools. Reading: 1) ICIJ, “Deforestation Inc.” (specific articles TBA) 2) OCCRP “Aleph” database (specific datasets TBA based on student interests) Assignments/deadlines: |
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Session 14 Tuesday Dec. 10 |
Topic: Final Story Progress Reports, Course Evaluations Description: Students will give 10-minute progress reports on their final stories. Reading: Student work in progress. Assignments/deadlines: Major Reporting and Writing Assignment 2 due on NEO 11:59 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13. |
6. Course Requirements and Assessment (with estimated workloads)
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Assignment |
Workload (average) |
Weight in Final Grade |
Evaluated Course Specific Learning Outcomes |
Evaluated Institutional Learning Outcomes* |
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Attendance and Class Participation |
42 |
25% |
Working with other student reporters in team setting to produce news copy on deadline. |
1.2 |
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In-class writing assignments. |
38 |
25% |
Quality of leads and contribution to group news summaries during in-class deadline assignments. These may also include in-class assignments to write about class guests and field trips. |
1,2 |
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Major Writing Assignment 1. |
35 |
20% |
Produce an 800-word update to an ongoing international news story with some original reporting, including some live quotes from sources, plus background. |
1,2,3 |
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Major Writing Assignment 2 |
35 |
30% |
Produce a 1200-word international news story with all original reporting, including live quotes from interview sources, plus background. |
1,2,3 |
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TOTAL |
150 |
100% |
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*1 = Critical Thinking; 2 = Effective Communication; 3 = Effective and Responsible Action
7. Detailed description of the assignments
In-Class Writing Assignments: These will range from daily work assembling international news summaries to on-the-spot stories, done individually or in teams, about case studies or interview subjects.
Assessment breakdown
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Assessed area |
Percentage |
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Ability to finish leads and story summaries from multiple sources on deadline. |
50 |
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Ability to work smoothly in team to produce group assignments. |
25 |
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Grammar, punctuation, spelling, writing clarity |
25 |
Major Reporting/Writing Assignment 1. This will be your first step in doing your own international news reporting. You will take an ongoing international news story (either one studied in class or another of your choice, subject to instructor’s approval), research past stories to write the necessary background, find unanswered questions or new avenues of inquiry, and add your own reporting that should include some original live quotes obtained from sources.
Major Reporting/Writing Assignment 2. Now you will strike out fully on your own, choosing an ongoing or breaking international news story (either one studied in class or another of your choice, subject to instructor’s approval). Though you will also need to read other related past stories to choose the necessary background material, this story should be predominantly new reporting with all original live quotes from at least three sources.
Assessment breakdown
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Assessed area |
Percentage |
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Reporting |
50 |
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Writing |
50 |
8. General Requirements and School Policies
General requirements
All coursework is governed by AAU’s academic rules. Students are expected to be familiar
with the academic rules in the Academic Codex and Student Handbook and to maintain the
highest standards of honesty and academic integrity in their work. Please see the AAU
intranet for a summary of key policies regarding coursework.
Course-Specific Requirements
Because this course emphasizes your own reporting and writing, with heavy use of attribution, no AI generated text is allowed in your assignments. Any use of it will result in a failed grade for the assignment and could result in failing the entire course.
Prepared by: Andrew Giarelli
Date: July 25, 2024
Approved by: Seth Rogoff
Date: August 17, 2024
Date:
Here is the course outline:
1. Lesson 1: Writing Breaking International News
Sep 3 3:30pm .. 6:15pm
We will wade right into the task of international journalism with lead and news summary writing exercises. |
2. Lesson 2: Writing Breaking International News
Aug 28 3:30pm .. 6:15pm
1) Deadline Lead Writing Exercises from Breaking International News 2) Composing a Daily International News Summary 3) Case Study: Murdered Slovak Journalist Jan Kuciak and his colleagues, working with the Sarajevo-based Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and The New York Times, uncovered European corruption at the highest and most dangerous levels. Reading (in Resources, to be done before class) 1) Jan Kuciak, “Italian Farms, Slovak Soil.” OCCRP, Feb. 27, 2018. 2) Jan Kuciak et al., “The Model, The Mafia, and the Murderers.” OCCRP Feb. 28, 2018. |
3. Lesson 3: Writing Breaking International News
Sep 17 3:30pm .. 5:15pm
1) Deadline Lead Writing Exercises from Breaking International News 2) Composing a Daily International News Summary 3) Case Study: The International Cocaine Trail. OCCR reporters following the late Jan Kuciak’s lead further investigate how cocaine travels via organized crime. Reading (in Resources, to be done before class): 1) Cecilia Anesi, Giulio Rubino, Pavla Holcova, and Jan Kuciak. “Going Bananas: Flanders Transformed into Hub for International Cocaine Trafficking.” OCCRP, July 20, 2018. 2) Cecilia Anesi, Luca Rinaldi, Giulio Rubino, and Lorenzo Bagnoli. “Unfinished Lives, Unfinished Justice: The Cocaine Cowboys.” OCCRP, Feb. 22, 2019. |
4. Lesson 4: Writing Breaking International News, Regional Focus
Sep 24 3:30pm .. 6:15pm
1) Composing a Daily Regional News Summary: Central Europe 2) Case Study: Covering central-eastern Europe’s populist leaders and oligarch politicians. Slovakia and Hungary. The Czech Republic’s nearest neighbors to the east have become flashpoints in debates over EU support for Ukraine and government control of news media. 3) Guest: Michaela Terenzani, foreign news editor, SME (largest Slovak news daily). 4) Introducing major writing assignment 1, an 800-word international news story update with some original reporting. Reading (in Resources, to be done before class): 1) Selam Gebredikan, Matt Apuzzo, and Benjamin Novak. “The Money Farmers: How Oligarchs and Populists Milk the EU for Millions. The New York Times, Nov. 3, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/03/world/europe/eu-farm-subsidy-hungary.html 2) Selected “Last Week in Slovakia” newsletters from The Slovak Spectator (English-language edition of SME) |
5. Lesson 5: Writing Breaking International News, Regional Focus
Oct 1 3:30pm .. 6:15pm
1) Composing a Daily Regional News Summary: Near East/Ukraine |
6. Lesson 6: Investigative Environmental Reporting
Oct 8 3:30pm .. 6:15pm
1) Composing a Daily Topical News Summary: Environmental News 2) Case Study: Investigative Reporting on World Deforestation Reading (in Resources, to be done before class): 1) Johannes Kaiser, Christope Lehermayr, Sebastian Reinhart, Addendum (republished in voxeurop). “How Timber Smugglers Are Destroying Europe’s Last Primeval Forests. Part I: the Romanian Eldorado.” Sept. 3, 2020. 2) “How Timber Smugglers Are Destroying Europe’s Last Primeval Forests. Part II: The Timber Mafia,” Aug. 27, 2020. 3) Maddie Stone, “The World’s Largest Tropical Wetland Is On Fire.” Vice, July 30, 2020. 4) Maddie Stone, “An Enormous Wetland in Argentina is Burning Out of Control.” Vice, Aug. 12, 2020 5) Ciurcanu, Andrei, “The Simple Fraud Undermining Europe’s Timber Tracing System.” OCCRP, April 8, 2024. |
7. Lesson 7: War Reporting 1
Oct 15 3:30pm .. 6:15pm
1) Composing a Daily War News Summary (Ukraine war) 2) Case Study: Covering the Ukraine War 3) Guest: Ksenia Churmanova, reporter, BBC News Russian. Reading (in Resources, to be done before class): 1) Ksenia Churmanova, “From Starbucks to Steelworks: How a Businessman Linked to Ramzan Kadryov Benefitted from the War in Ukraine.” BBC News Russian, Feb. 17, 2023. 2) Ilya Barabanov and Anastasia Lotareva, "Wagner's Inheritance: What Has Happened to Yevgeny Prighozin's Assets?" BBC News Russian, June 28, 2024. 3) Additional reading TBA depending on breaking Ukraine war news. |
8. Lesson 8: War Reporting 2
Oct 22 3:30pm .. 6:15pm
1) Composing a Daily War News Summary (Ukraine war) 2) Case Study: Repercussions of the Ukraine War 3) Guest: Irina Sterpu, Vocea Basarabiei (Moldova) radio-TV journalist and AAU journalism graduate Reading (in Resources, to be done before class): 1) Christopher Giles, “A New Tool Shows What War Has Done to Ukraine’s Forests.” Bellingcat, Aug. 18, 2023. 2) Andrew Giarelli, “Terror and Truth in Southern Ukraine.” 3) Andrew Giarelli, “This Ticking Time Bomb On Our Border” |
9. Lesson 9: New Tools in International Reporting 1
Nov 5 3:30pm .. 6:15pm
How do investigative journalism consortia like ICIJ and OCCRP obtain and use public and leaked private financial data like that in the Panama, Paradise and Pandora Papers? Reading (in Resources, to be done before class): 1) ICIJ, "Offshore Leaks Database", 2) "Data Sources" 3) ICIJ, “ICIJ Releases Paradise Papers Data from Appleby” 4) "Pandora Papers Global View" |
10. Lesson 10: New Tools in International Reporting 2
Nov 12 3:30pm .. 6:15pm
How do organizations like Geoconfirmed and The Centre for Information Resilience use geolocation, open-source data, and social media analysis to track human rights abuses and wars? 1) Christo Grozev, “The Remote Control Killers Behind Russia’s Cruise Missile Strikes on Ukraine.” Bellingcat, Oct. 24, 2022 2) Center for Information Resilience, “Eyes on Russia Map” 3) Afghan Witness, “Afghan Witness Map” and “Afghan Witness Social Media User Survey” 4) Geoconfirmed maps (conflict map to be selected based on current breaking news) |
11. Lesson 11: Focus on the Caucasus and Central Asia
Nov 19 3:30pm .. 6:15pm
A showdown between pro- and anti-Russian forces in Georgia, continued tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and hardening Taliban repression in Afghanistan are some of the major ongoing stories. 1) Guest: Satar Furogh, RFE/RL Afghan on-air news presenter and AAU journalism graduate. Reading: TBA, depending on breaking regional news. |
12. Lesson 12: Visit to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Headquarters, Prague
Nov 26 3:30pm .. 6:15pm
We’ll visit this historic, vast journalistic complex in Prague, as respected now for broadcasting news to countries where truth is often banned, distorted and punished as it was during the Cold War. Reading: Selected Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty stories, depending on breaking news. URL: https://www.rferl.org |
13. Lesson 13: Following Up, New Trails
Dec 3 3:30pm .. 6:15pm
Let’s try to follow up on some of the investigative reporting we’ve been studying, using some of its tools. Reading: 1) ICIJ, “Deforestation Inc.” (specific articles TBA) 2) OCCRP “Aleph” database (specific datasets TBA based on student interests) |
14. Lesson 14: Final Story Progress Reports, Course Evaluations
Dec 10 3:30pm .. 6:15pm
Students will give 10-minute progress reports on their final stories. Reading: Student work in progress. |