University of Texas School of Journalism to Host International Journalists as Part of State Department Program

AUSTIN, Texas – April 11, 2007 – The University of Texas at Austin School of Journalism will host a delegation of 17 journalists from East Asia and the Pacific April 12-18 as part of the U.S. Department of State’s Edward. R. Murrow Program for Journalists.

An innovative public-private partnership among the Department of State, the Aspen Institute and 12 leading U.S. schools of journalism, the program will bring about 185 television, radio and print journalists from independent media outlets in 128 countries to the United States. The program offers the opportunity to examine the rights and responsibilities of a free press in the American context and enables the journalists to visit leading academic institutions in smaller delegations for interactive sessions with faculty and students.

“In our globalizing world, what happens ‘out there’ can have a quick and lasting impact on how we live our lives at home in our local communities – whether it’s a matter of new markets and where the jobs of the future will come from, or in areas such as public health or how the worldwide media revolution is reshaping our lives,” said Tracy Dahlby, the Frank A. Bennack, Jr. Chair in Journalism at the university and the lead host to the delegation. “Hosting a group of such distinguished journalists is not only a privilege but a great opportunity; I know we’ll learn a great deal from them.”

International journalists visiting Austin will participate in a series of intensive roundtable discussions with local media and community leaders, as well as sessions with faculty, students and guest lecturers. They will also visit journalists working in local news organizations, including “The Austin American-Statesman,” KLRU-TV, Austin PBS and News 8 Austin.

In addition to The University of Texas at Austin, 11 other institutions will host delegations: American University, Boston University, Louisiana State University, Syracuse University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Kentucky, the University of Maryland, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Minnesota, the University of Oklahoma and the University of Southern California.

Prior to coming to campus, visiting journalists have an orientation period in Washington, D.C., where they will be introduced to U.S. government and foreign policy. Following their stay at the university, they will travel to several contrasting cities and small American towns to gain an understanding of media coverage of state politics and government, and to observe American civic life and grassroots involvement in political affairs in smaller towns. The program will conclude in Washington, D.C. with a symposium hosted by the Aspen Institute to highlight current trends and challenges facing the media in the United States and around the world.

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Note to editors: Please contact Erin Geisler for an itinerary and interview and photo opportunities.

Contacts:

Erin Geisler

(512) 475-8071

erin.geisler@austin.utexas.edu

Tracy Dahlby

(512) 471-6272

tdahlby@mail.utexas.edu

Nicole Deaner

U.S. Department of State

(202) 203-7613