By Kelly Fisher

The Institute for International Journalism (IIJ) in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism is developing a steady and meaningful partnership with Al-Farabi Kazakh Nation University (KazNU). In the second year of academic exchanges, the IIJ entered into some joint research partnerships with some members of KazNU’s Faculty of Journalism.

Director of the IIJ, Dr. Yusuf Kalyango, traveled to Almaty, Kazakhstan from February 21 through March 8, for undergraduate studies consultations and public opinion research training. This collaboration is a continuation of the Study of the U.S. Institute (SUSI) on Journalism and Media post-institute activities, which led to a Memorandum of Understanding between KazNU and Ohio University(OU) in 2012. 

Kalyango’s lectures and consultations included conceptualizing research ideas, formulating hypotheses, collecting and analyzing data, or the “A to Z of Public Opinion Empirical Research.”
KazNU students expressed appreciation for the partnership between the IIJ at OU and KazNU.

“Dr. Kalyango's project gave us a chance to write a high quality term paper, a chance [for undergraduate students] to be published in [an] International online magazine, [and an opportunity for] publication in a scientific magazine… and our project that we made will be presented on a Global conference in Montreal, Canada,” Madina Baimagambayeva, one of the students, said in an email.
She added that the experience and knowledge that she gained were “unforgettable.”

Another student, Aliya Nurshaikhova, said that groups of students wrote reports using statistical analyses and made questionnaires for KazNU students regarding social media site’s influences on people’s bodies.

“The answers [survey responses] were collected in a couple of days, so we started using SPSS [software],” she recalled. “Our students can now predict with confidence the answers to some of the questions according to the theme. Also, they can use those facts for their future analysis and their own personal researches and make smart decisions or easily solve problems.”
Two weeks later, she said, Kalyango selected six students to present their research analysis to the Myssayeva and to assist him in collecting information for a future publication.

Kalyango’s lectures and consultations at KazNU were part of the IIJ-SUSI post-Institute program events. The SUSI summer institute 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. Scholars from all over the world come to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University to be exposed to journalism practice and media institutions in the United States, according to a previous Institute for International Journalism post.

In the midst of the busy schedule, Kalyango experienced Kazakh culture by going to the movies, trying traditional foods, and attending a ballet performance of Romeo and Juliet. “(KazNU) students have had a lot of fun working together with professor and we hope to see (Kalyango) this summer again,” Nurshaikhova said.

By Kelly Fisher

Nearly eight months after departing for their home countries, the scholars of the 2013 Study of the U.S. Institute program on journalism and media have shared some of the most important things they learned from SUSI, and how they have incorporated them into their work.

•Sharon Wilson, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia

Dr. Jacqueline has incorporated the material from the SUSI lectures and consultations in her lectures, such as upgrading to new technology and utilizing social media — Skype, YouTube, blogs, and others — to use in the classroom, as recommended by Scripps School of Journalism Associate Professor Mary Rogus and the college dean, Dr. Scott Titsworth.

“I used to be a very conservative teacher before,” she said. “Now I am more laid back and practice lots of flexibility, and this is well received by my students.”

Aside from teaching, Dr. Wilson has been working on several projects; she has spoken with her SUSI colleagues about a research manuscript, which 2013 SUSI scholar, Sleiman El Bsswmai said Professor Bill Reader is actively helping them to produce.  Dr. prepared to serve as a panelist or a forum in Mynmar next month on Journalists’ challenges and problems as well as working on visual framing and e-learning for UTAR.

•Egidio Vaz Raposo, CEC, Mozambique

Thanks to the SUSI program, SUSI 2013 alumnus Egidio Vaz Raposo said he learned to effectively incorporate multiple tools into the classroom, such as video, photo and audio, in addition to what he had used before.

Vaz Raposo focuses on multimedia, web and editorial journalism, and uses materials from Scripps professors Bill Reader, Jatin Sirvastrava and Mary Rogus. He is also conducting research on media and conflict in Mozambique, for which he uses materials provided by Dr. Yusuf Kalyango, IIJ Director.

•Sibongile Mpofu, National University of Science and Technology, Zimbabwe

SUSI scholar Mpofu has filled her time researching the representation of women in politics in light of the Zimbabwean election in 2013. Although she is still in the process of gathering data amidst her busy schedule at the university, she checks in with Dr. Sirvastrava for assistance in writing the paper.

“The sessions we had at Ohio on advertising and PR and visits to Google and AT&T Park were good for me because I have an advertising class this semester, and I am using a lot of examples from the U.S.,” she said of her experience with SUSI.

She added that the AEMJC conference in Washington D.C. inspired her to pursue research on social media and public sphere in Zimbabwe.

•Anand Pradhan, Indian Institute of Mass Communication, India

Dr. Pradhan is working on two books, which he hopes to have completed by the middle of this year. He also attended a session in an international conference organized by Ohio University’s Instiotute for International Journalism and Padmawati Womens University in Tirupati, India.

He, Prof. Rogus and a few other scholars submitted a panel proposal for the next Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) conference, which was accepted for presentation in Montreal, Canada in August 2014.

Pradhan expressed his gratitude for those involved in the SUSI program, and indicated that he plans to work with the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism, again in the future.

“The SUSI experience was a life changing experience — I really mean it,” he said.

•Consuelo Aguirre, Universidad de los Hemisferios, Ecuador

SUSI scholar Aguirre said that the Director of the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism, Dr. Bob Stewart, was key to providing help in research on digital content consumption, which Aguirre has been working on in Ecuador.

He also stressed the importance of staying in touch with the other SUSI scholars:

“The SUSI program is a great opportunity to create networks of scholars around the world,” he said. “Dr. Kalyango, Mary Rogus and the whole team [at] Ohio University [is doing] a great job and I am very thankful.”

Greece, a country that is home to ancient architecture, art museums and historical monuments, will host the Worlds of Journalism Study convention this spring for member-scholars to discuss and analyze the evolution of journalism around the globe.

The Worlds of Journalism Study, a research group established in 2006, will host its 2014 convention in Thessaloniki, Greece March 27-29.

According to the Worlds of Journalism Study’s (WJS) official website, the organization “is an academically driven project that was founded to regularly assess the state of journalism throughout the world.

“The Study’s primary objective is to help journalism researchers, practitioners, media managers and policy makers better understand world views and changes that are taking place in the professional orientations of journalists, the conditions and limitations under which they operate, as well as the social functions of journalism in a changing world.”

The organization is a product of researchers from 80 countries, including Kenya, Malaysia and Ecuador, among others.

Chair of the Worlds of Journalism Study, Dr. Thomas Hanitzsch, said “This type of collaboration is, to the best of my knowledge, the first in the field.” He observed that this kind of research collaboration is “much more common in other fields (such as science)... (The Worlds of Journalism Study is) the largest collaboration in the field of communication studies.”

Hanitzsch’s interest in comparing global journalism culture sparked when he finished his Ph.D. studies in Indonesia, and was motivated to seize the opportunity to compare Indonesian journalism to other country’s approaches.

The European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) posted an itinerary online; the event will include featured keynote speakers and several parallel sessions.

ECREA’s theme for this year’s convention is, “Journalism in Transition: Crisis of Opportunity?” which is the kind of question that researchers at the Worlds of Journalism Study are trying to explore.

Tim Vos, associate professor and coordinator for global research initiatives at the University of Missouri and one of the U.S. primary investigators for the Study, said there is a lot to analyze based on data collected from journalists of all ages in various cultures.

“The convention promises to be an academically productive and internationally well-attended event,” Hanitzsch said in a letter.

He explained that at the convention, researchers are expected to present their findings from their studies of certain countries, reflect upon the methodology and discuss future steps in the Worlds of Journalism Study.

Some of the countries to be discussed include Rwanda and Tanzania, which was studied by Director of the Institute for International Journalism (IIJ), Dr. Yusuf Kalyango.

Approximately 400 journalists were surveyed on their journalism approaches for researchers to analyze the similarities and differences in the culture of the field around the world. According to Hanitzsch’s letter, the final data is due in December.

Vos said the U.S. is “ahead of the game” in its research, but added that some researchers have “only just begun” to analyze what they have found so far.

Hanitzsch said that the process of the study remains ongoing, and the collaborators will discuss how to continue research and the future structure of the Worlds of Journalism Study at the Greece conference. 


“The whole landscape or environment of journalism is changing,” Vos said. “Journalism cultures are reacting to each other and (trying) to get a sense of what’s driving some of those changes.”

He added that part of the future of the Study involves publishing a book after analyzing and publishing the results of the data. Hanitzsch said that the Worlds of Journalism Study’s data are expected to be published in mid-2015, and expects the book to be on shelves approximately two years later.

The Institute for International Journalism in collaboration with Al-Farabi Kazakh Nation University (KazNU) has entered into research venture to work with KazNU’s Faculty of Journalism to conduct consultations and lectures from Feb. 21 through March 8. This partnership was made possible through the Study of the U.S. Institute (SUSI) on Journalism and Media post-institute activities.

IIJ Director, Dr. Yusuf Kalyango, will lead lectures and consultations, most of which last three and half hours, each weekday of the trip in the Faculty of Journalism at KazNU. Lectures and consultations will be open to faculty members, graduate students and undergraduate students.

Graduate research students will attend lessons on quantitative research, such as designing, collecting data, theorizing and publishing in American or European Academic Journals.

Kalyango’s lectures for undergraduate students will be based on a course offered at KazNU: “Role of Televised (Visual) Media and Democratization (TV News).” Their lectures and consultations include conceptualizing research ideas, formulating hypotheses, collecting, and analyzing data, or the “A to Z of Public Opinion Empirical Research.”

KazNU students and lecturers will present their findings on the last weekday of Kalyango’s visit: Friday, March 7. KazNU Rector Dr. Mutanov Galimkair Mutanovich and OU President Dr. Roderick J. McDavis last year signed a Memorandum of Understanding, a formal agreement establishing a partnership, between the two institutions.

"Developing and fostering strong partnerships with universities around the globe is an important aspect of our commitment to diversity and an important way that we enrich the student experience at Ohio University," OU President Roderick J. McDavis said in a Compass blog post.

Kalyango’s lectures and consultations at KazNU will be part of the IIJ-SUSI post-Institute program events. The SUSI summer institute 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. Scholars from all over the world come to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University to be exposed to journalism practice and media institutions in the United States, according to a previous Institute for International Journalism post.

At last year’s academic trip, Kalyango’s lectures revolved around topics such as global news coverage and reporting conflicts, and the consultations were related to a course: Higher Education, Professional Development and Research Opportunities in the USA. He also held a workshop called Teaching and Grading with Multimedia Online Tools in Classrooms and Seminars, on his final day in Kazakhstan.

Between lectures, consultations and workshops, Kalyango also experienced the Kazakh culture by traveling around the country with an alumna of the 2012 Study of the U.S. Institute at Ohio University, indulging in traditional foods and attending shows at locally significant theaters.

By Lindsay Boyle

This summer, the Institute for International Journalism administers the fourth annual Study of the U.S. Institute (SUSI) on Journalism and Media.

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.

Following the 2012 conclusion of three successful programs held in Athens — where more than 50 scholars from more than 40 countries attended numerous sessions covering an array of media-related topics, visited various media outlets and garnered several cultural experiences — the U.S. State Department renewed the program for the IIJ, meaning that this summer’s program is the first of three more.

Sixteen scholars are participating this year, from the following countries: Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras, India, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nepal, Romania, Ukraine, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

They will travel near and far, being immersed in diverse cultural and media environments. Destinations include the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, The Budget newspaper in Amish Country, Google headquarters in San Francisco, CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., and many more.

Additionally, daylong excursions, such as the Tecumseh! Outdoor Historical Drama in Chillicothe or the Little Cities of Black Diamonds tour that spans multiple towns in Southeast Ohio, allow the scholars to further understand the region.

Sessions held in Athens will continue to cover topics such as electronic and new media, media systems in scholars’ countries and the role of news in a democracy, generating intriguing discussions and evoking thoughtful and lasting reactions.

Overall, the purpose of SUSI is to foster mutual understanding and respect between the people of the United States and citizens of other countries around the world.

The program will conclude after the scholars spend nine days in Washington, D.C., including three full days at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)conference.

By Lindsay Boyle

On April 22, Institute for International Journalism Director Yusuf Kalyango embarked on a 13-day academic trip to Kazakhstan.

Each weekday, Kalyango led two 90-minute lectures and one 90-minute consultation in the Faculty of Journalism at the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, more commonly known as KazNU, in Almaty. Attendees included undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty members.

Kalyango’s lectures were incorporated into the Role of Televised (Visual) Media and Democratization (TV News) course, and included topics such as improving story telling in television packages, global news coverage, and reporting conflicts on television.

The consultations were in regard to the course High Education, Professional Development and Research Opportunities in the USA. They covered areas including the future of journalism in the digital age and how to go from research concept to publication.

On the final Friday, May 3, Kalyango also held a workshop: Teaching and Grading with Multimedia Online Tools in Classrooms and Seminars.

KazNU Rector Dr. Mutanov Galimkair Mutanovich and OU President Dr. Roderick J. McDavis recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the two schools.

The Vice Dean of the Faculty of Journalism, Karlyga Myssayeva, welcomed Kalyango at KazNU and took charge of his academic schedule and extracurricular activities. Karlyga Myssayeva is an alumna of the 2012 Study of the U.S. Institute at Ohio University. Kalyango’s lectures and consultations at KazNu were part of the IIJ-SUSI post-Institute activities.

The SUSI summer institute 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. Scholars from all over the world come to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University to be exposed to journalism practice and media institutions in the United States.

In his free time, Kalyango traveled around the country with Myssayeva and others. He had dinners full of Kazakh traditional foods, visited Astana — the capital of Kazakhstan, ventured into Kok-Tobe — the highest point of Almaty, and explored other attractions offered by the city of Almaty.

He also attended the 2013 Miss Kazakh National University pageant, and watched classical and modern ballet as well as comical shows at theaters including the Modern Kazakh State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Abay.

By Lindsay Boyle

Institute for International Journalism Director Yusuf Kalyango's busy trip to Rwanda in February included meetings with academics, media persons and government officials.

Kalyango spent the first day of the trip, Feb. 6, in Kigali — the capital city — meeting Rwandan scribes and sitting in on meetings in two media establishments.

The next day, he traveled to the Catholic University in Kabgayi (ICK), where he met the University’s Vice Chancellor and faculty members. From the morning throughout the evening, Kalyango gave four lectures. Two were directed toward faculty: Overview of Teaching and Research in U.S. Universities and Teaching and Grading with Multimedia Tools. The other lecture, Higher Education, Professional Development and Research Opportunities in the USA, was given to students in day and evening sections.

On Feb. 8, he gave a public lecture at ICK — Role of Media in Democracy in Eastern and Southern Africa — that aired on national Rwandan TV and radio. Senators and senior military officers were present in the audience.

Kalyango returned to Kigali Feb. 9, where he toured the Presidential Palace Museum — located in a building full of escape routes that was the home of two former Rwandan presidents: Pasteur Bizimungu and Juvinal Habyarimana. There is still wreckage on display outside from the plane carrying Habyarimana that was shot down on the grounds on April 6, 1994 as it prepared to land. Habyarimana’s resulting death was a catalyst for the country’s genocide.

Via his Twitter account, Kalyango complimented Rwanda for its modernization and new life, writing that its cities “sparkle.”

Kalyango spent the final two days of his trip in meetings: first at the U.S. Embassy in Kigali, and then with editors of two national newspapers and of Rwanda TV concerning freebies and “brown envelopes.”

Julien Niyingabira, a production manager and journalist [at Radio Salus?], and Alexandre Twizeyumukiza, a lecturer at ICK, accompanied Kalyango throughout the week. Both are alumni of the Study of the U.S. Instituteat Ohio University, from years 2010 and 2012, respectively. Kalyango’s lectures were part of the IIJ-SUSI post-Institute activities.

The SUSI summer institute 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. Scholars from all over the world come to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University to be exposed to journalism practice and media institutions in the United States.

By Lindsay Boyle

Since his arrival at Ohio University in early October, Glidden Visiting Professor Ernest Waititu has spoken in several classes and panels, as well as at other events.

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.

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.

By Lindsay Boyle 

The Year for African Journalism, a joint effort between the Institute for International Journalism and the African Studies Program, has kicked off at Ohio University with the arrival of Glidden Visiting Professor Ernest Waititu.

On October 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.3

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.

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.

By Lindsay Boyle

In recent years, the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and the African Studies Program at Ohio University have gradually expanded their collaboration with each other. To showcase that expansion, the two groups have decided to hold a “Year for African Journalism” during the 2012-13 school year.

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.

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.