UNIT I: FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS AND THEIR AUDIENCE

Principles of the international news business. How it all works. Who's writing international news these days, and who reads it? How can we make it more understandable and compelling, across different kinds of media? Which international stories get covered, and which don't? Why do some people get their world news from Jon Stewart's "Daily Show"? Why can the press miss major stories until it's too late? Broadening international news coverage. Attempts to change the flow of world news. Critics of international reporting.

UNIT II: ETHICS AND CONFLICTS

(A set of ethical problems will be discussed at these classes. Prnt them out and bring them to class. Read them in advance and form ideas – strong ones, preferably – for class discussions about how they ought to be handled.)

The ethics of international reporting, including coverage of Russia. What is objectivity? How much does (and should) the press influence foreign policy? Relations with governments, diplomats and the military, ethics of interviewing, participating in public events, accepting gifts. What do "off the record," "deep background" and all those things really mean? When to intentionally withhold news. How ethics issues can change when lives are in the balance. What happens when local values clash with the ethics we learned at Columbia? Misrepresenting yourself, for good and evil. Handling macabre information and controversial photos. The uses and dangers of anonymity.

UNIT III: COVERING RUSSIA AND ITS NEIGHBORS

Coverage of Russia in the 20th and 21st centuries (including a historical review of principal events). The critical and changing role of the Russian internal press. Why Russia is hard to cover. The Russia story since 9/11: how has it fared amid other world concerns?


UNIT IV: REPORTING TECHNIQUES IN RUSSIA AND AROUND THE WORLD

Running with the news "pack." Getting  information. Dealing with government officials, opposition groups and ordinary citizens. Beating the opposition. When not to write anything. Language issues. The role of the foreign desk: do editors and reporters naturally hate each other? Deadline first aid for fractured stories. Ensuring fairness in copy. The uses -- and dangers -- of anonymity. Getting beyond politics-and-disaster reporting. How and when to make predictions. The uses -- and dangers -- of anonymity.

Guest speaker Feb. 19: Richard N. Winfield

UNIT V: WRITING FOR REAL PEOPLE

(In advance of this class, students should print a selection of writing samples for discussion. Consider how effective each selection is, and how it might have been improved.)

What readers are looking for in international news writing. Writing with credibility, authority and flash. The many uses of context. The lead. Choosing the right word. Focusing on what's truly important. Writing from the reader's perspective. When to use, and avoid, detail. Grappling with obscenities, ungrammatical quotes and, uh, bull. Wooden writing, arrogant writing and other ways to lose the reader.

UNIT VI: FROM CHECHNYA TO AFRICA: COVERING UNFAMILIAR PEOPLES AND CULTURES

The problems of covering unfamiliar ideologies, religions, cultures and armed movements in Russia and elsewhere. Understanding the passions that drive events. The dangers of simplistic analysis. Fighting preconceived notions. Fair coverage of people you can't stand. Labels and stereotypes. Simplifying without being simplistic. Controversies over the names of cities, countries and peoples: is it Burma or Myanmar?


UNIT VII: NEW TECHNOLOGY, NEW ISSUES

This class may take place at the multimedia headquarters of The Associated Press, 450 West 33rd St., New York.

How technology helps cover Russia and other nations. How it has endangered correspondents and changed the natural course of events. Special dangers for TV correspondents. The leveling of large and small stories through technology. The high-tech newsroom and how it affects journalism. New ways of distributing news. Blogs, "citizen journalists" and the growth of "robot media." Who's a journalist now? New ways of distributing and reading news. The new multimedia newsroom.

UNIT VIII: JOURNALISM AMID WAR AND OTHER DANGERS  

"Reasonable risk." What you can protect yourself from, and what you can't. Equipment and dress in a danger zone. The physical dangers reporters face and how they protect themselves. Examples from Chechnya and other conflicts. Should reporters carry weapons? The temptation to take risks. Psychological and other stresses on journalists. Covering combat and the military. When it's "our boys" fighting. What's a "media pool"? The public perception of of war correspondents and their mission. Enduring surveillance and harassment. Should reporters carry weapons or have armed guards? Press access and operations in recent conflicts, including the Gulf War, Somalia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. "I was there" reporting. Giving your own opinion.


UNIT IX: BEING A REPORTER ... WORKING WITH REPORTERS

The future of foreign reporting. A look at life as an international correspondent. For those interested in becoming a correspondent, the skills you need. Breaking into the business. For those who work will include interacting with journalists, how to work with them.