From Aug. 9 through Aug. 12, the 2012 SUSI scholars participated in the 2012 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Conference in Chicago. The SUSI summer institute — in which scholars from all over the world come to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University to study journalism and media — is funded by an annual renewable grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Study of the U.S. Branch in the Office of Academic Exchange Programs.

The AEJMC Conference is an annual event in which journalism scholars from throughout the United States and around the world engage in panels, presentations and other sessions related to research and teaching.

While in Chicago, the scholars were free to attend sessions of their choice, as well as other events such as a keynote ceremony and evening receptions. Many scholars also used some of their free time to go sightseeing in the city.

Scholar Dr. Aysha Abughazzi said that the conference well organized, but added that she sometimes had trouble choosing among the many simultaneous sessions.

“Other than that, I enjoyed attending sessions, getting to know new people in the field and sharing in the discussions,” she said.

“I was privileged to participate in such an international conference,” Abughazzi said. “It allowed me and my colleagues — who come from six different countries that are either directly or not directly involved in the events of the Arab Spring — to share with other scholars in the field our side of the story on a very hot and controversial topic.”

She explained that people of different countries watch different news stations to receive information about the Arab Spring based on how trustworthy they think the stations are and what kind of agenda they think the stations have. In Jordan, she said that Aljazeera is usually the public’s first choice, although some Jordanians also tune in to Western media outlets such as CNN and BBC.

Abughazzi said that the feedback she and her colleagues received about their panel was favorable.

“Many panel attendees continued the discussion on the various aspects of the topic — coverage of the Arab Spring — following the panel,” she said. “The questions we received indicated to us that people in the west were interested in learning our side of the story.”

In addition, SUSI program assistants Sally Ann Cruikshank, Ashley Furrow and Jim DeBrosse presented a total of eight papers at the AEJMC Conference.

Papers authored or co-authored by Furrow discussed topics such as the mission of Champion magazine, an influential female sportswriter named Mary Garber, and fans’ perceptions of local and national media coverage of college sports scandals.

Cruikshank’s papers examined issues such as media coverage of the genocides in southern Sudan and in Rwanda, as well as media coverage of France’s burqa ban.

By Lindsay Boyle

A number of Scripps College of Communication and Ohio University faculty members have donated several books for the 2012 SUSI scholars.

One such faculty member, retired professor Dr. Anne Cooper-Chen, has been involved with SUSI all three years that it has been hosted at OU. Last year, she acted as the research chair for the program and also gave away about 50 books, as well as one set of 25 years’ worth of Journal of Communication.

This year, Cooper-Chen donated a set of 30 years’ worth of Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, which filled six boxes.

“I am retired and wanted the books and journals to get out to journalism schools around the world, since I no longer need them,” she said.

Other faculty members who donated include Dr. Eric Rothenbuhler, the associate dean of the Scripps College of Communication, and Dr. Steve Howard, the director of African Studies and of the Institute for the African Child, among others.

Many of the scholars were excited to receive and appreciative of the books.

Rwandan scholar Alexandre Twizeyumukiza, for example, picked books related to public relations and to journalism and media. He said that the books will greatly aid him in teaching as his country’s primary language transitions from French to English.

“I am sure that by reading them I will get additional information in those fields,” he said. “Also, the books could undoubtedly be useful to several other people.”

Scholar Guoping He, from China, said it is usually very difficult for him to get original English academic books at all. He chose books related to methodology, public relations and international communication.

He said that the books will aid him in his research, and also that he plans to donate some of the books to his school’s library so other scholars can benefit as well.

“It’s an unexpected pleasant surprise,” he said. “They are valuable gift for me.”

The SUSI summer institute — in which scholars from all over the world come to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at OU to study journalism and media — is funded by an annual renewable grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Study of the U.S. Branch in the Office of Academic Exchange Programs.

By Lindsay Boyle

During the latter part of the third week of the 2012 SUSI program, the scholars journeyed to Atlanta for two days full of media and cultural visits.

The SUSI summer institute — in which scholars from all over the world come to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University to study journalism and media — is funded by an annual renewable grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Study of the U.S. Branch in the Office of Academic Exchange Programs.

Early on July 26, the scholars visited the headquarters of CNN. Once there, they split into two groups to tour multiple studios and newsrooms, including the domestic and international studios. During the tour, they learned more about how CNN’s media system works.

Next, the scholars visited the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum. There, they were given a presentation about presidential history in the United States, followed by a tour of the museum. The museum includes an exact replica of the Oval Office, as well as a permanent exhibit that documents significant events from former President Jimmy Carter’s life and career.

The scholars also spent time at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, where they learned about the civil rights movement and the history Atlanta. The site includes King’s birth home, the church where he preached, his tomb, a monument, a rose garden and a visitor’s center.

She said that, in Pakistan, people know and read a lot about Martin Luther King Jr. She likened him to a former Pakistani leader, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who was renowned for his “distinct, revolutionary and brave” behavior.

“(Martin Luther King Jr.’s) idea of nonviolence is so fascinating and needed at this time that it must be promoted,” she said. “He will remain symbol of nonviolence, courage and never ending hope.”