What is Global Journalism at Medill?

The Global Journalism program is an optional additional quarter of study available to Medill graduate journalism students.
 
The program, inaugurated in Europe in 1996 with a group of 11 students, places students in residencies established and coordinated by Medill at primarily English-language news organizations and publications throughout the world. More then 300 students have participated in the program. They have worked at newspapers, magazines, broadcast networks and web-based news organizations in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Oceana and the  Americas.

The Global Residency program is a three-unit academic course, consisting of a 10-week residency at a news organization (2 units) and an independent-project (1 unit) conducted prior to or during the residency. This project is designed to enhance the residency experience and help the student develop journalistic expertise in a subject of importance or keen interest in the city or region of the residency.

The Residency:

Students are placed in residencies after close consultation between the student, the on-site residency supervisor (e.g. editor, news director, bureau chief, production leader) and Medill's global residency coordinator.  The shared goal is for the student to be placed in a residency in which the assignments, experiences and leadership orientation build on her/his Medill subject or techniques specialization.

(Local-language proficiency is required in many residencies.  In such cases, direct contact between the student and the on-site residency supervisor has proven to be sufficient to determine that the student has the appropriate language competencies.)

During the residency, students complete a range of assignments similar in quality and quantity to those of an entry-level professional staff member.  Through planning, coordination and constant feedback between student, faculty adviser and residency supervisor, the student should benefit from a program of increasingly important assignments and professional growth.

It is not unusual for resident students to report and write high-profile stories with  widespread international play.  Increasingly, these stories are in multiple formats and are prominently displayed on major Web sites worldwide.

Journalism, whether on the small-town-daily-newspaper or international stage, often depends on the news of the day and the state of the world to determine its pace.  Students undertaking global residencies should be prepared for daily and long-term assignments both important/exciting and mundane. A resident journalist should also be prepared to bring his/her unique vision to the residency, and use it to generate and execute enterprise stories.

Independent-study project:
The independent-study project will be developed with oversight by the global faculty adviser and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and Global Residency Coordinator. On occasion, multiple students' projects may be coordinated, exploring the same subject from different parts of the world.

Although an academic-style research paper may be approved under some circumstances, most independent-study projects will result in a journalistic report reflecting the student's area of specialization. Examples might include audio, slideshows, video reports, text-story packages, or a combination of elements. In depth and complexity, they might be compared to a Web site's centerpiece, a broadcast news special report, a newspaper's featured Sunday package, or a high-profile magazine story.

It is hoped that these projects will be suitable for publication on Medill Reports, that the residency host organization will publish, or they may be marketed as freelance journalism. A well-executed independent-study project will be an important clip or link supporting a student's resume.

 

Program requirements:
Students must be in good academic standing, both when they apply and at the beginning of the residency quarter.  Students prepare for the residency quarter by taking Editorial 410, the Global Journalism seminar course, during regular coursework at Medill.  Students also attend pre-residency seminars, conducted by faculty and guest experts, to become better prepared for the issues and challenges associated with reporting from abroad.
 
Cost:
The cost to the student to participate in the Global Journalism Residency Program is comparable to the estimated cost per quarter to enroll in the graduate program and relative to the living expenses of the residency city. All student participants may apply for additional Global Journalism scholarship funds. Financial aid and the student health plan continue to be available for the additional quarter. Students participating in this program must contact Medill's financial aid office the quarter prior to their residency quarter.

Residencies vary in financial support. Some organizations pay their residents.  Others provide support for housing or expenses.  Some provide no monetary compensation or support.
 
The Global Residency Program staff provides resources and actively assists students on housing options at residency cities. Each student should be prepared to cover expenses, including tuition, airfare, housing, meals, etc., during the course of the quarter.
 
The growth of Medill's graduate global journalism program over the past 12 years attests to its success and to the importance of world news to the emerging journalist.
 
Further information is available from:
Bill Handy, Global Residency Coordinator: 
w-handy@northwestern.edu
Lois Shuford, Manager of External Programs:
l-shuford@northwestern.edu