December 2013
GCJD Hires New Staff
The Global Center for Journalism and Democracy is happy to welcome two new staff members. Meagan Ellsworth, who graduated from SHSU in 2012 joins the center as an executive assistant, and Jesse Starkey, as the new program manager, who had previously been working in SHSU's International Programs department.
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December 2013
GCJD Partners with GPI
GCJD and The Global Press Institute (GPI) have teamed up to bring original content and news stories from developing countries to the screens of any GCJD website visitor. GPI, an award-winning social venture, uses journalism as a development tool to employ and empower women in developing countries to produce local news coverage of topics not seen in other parts of the world. GPI will provide original content to GCJD that will allow viewers to educate themselves on alternative, important topics.
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November 11, 2013
GCJD Partners with NDI-Tunisia for Political Party and Journalist Training
GCJD will partner with NDI to work with Journalists to help them understand the role they play in ensuring fair and credible elections. The center will also work with various political parties to help them understand relationships with an independent media.
November 2013
GCJD Website Launches Resources Section
As part of the Center’s ongoing commitment to support professional journalists in the field, we have launched our Resources and Tool section.
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October 22, 2013
GCJD Speaker Series- "That's entertainment! The reshaping of news."
GCJD hosts Journalist and Author Kitty Pilgrim as she discusses the evolution of news. Kitty will also be handing out free copies of her novel, The Explorer's Code.
October 13-15, 2013
GCJD at AUDEM Converence in Sarajevo
GCJD had the opportunity to share its experiences with other universities interested in advancing democratic values throughout the globe. Executive Director Kelli Arena made a presentation about the work the center is doing with journalists, political parties and civil society groups. SHSU senior Miranda Landsman joined Arena at the conference to be held in Sarajevo.
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September 30, 2013
Hyde Earns First International Byline via GCJD Mentoring
SHSU senior Connor Hyde just got his first international byline, thanks to a mentoring program offered by GCJD. Connor wrote a story about immigration reform that was published on UPI's global news service.
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August 15, 2013
Des vidéos qui peuvent sauver des vies
GCJD receives recognition for the Journalist Survival Guide videos that it helped create. The video training curriculum was developed as a resource tool for media professionals and activists covering areas of conflict.
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August 6, 2013
Samir Kassir Foundation releases "Journalist Survival Guide" for covering conflict
The Samir Kassir Eyes (SKeyes) Center for Media and Cultural Freedom recently debuted a unique Journalist Survival Guide, blending video with helpful "how-to" tips on what journalists should do under fire; during a riot or when chocking on tear gas, and other dangers encountered by media professionals operating in conflict and war zones.
Marcopolis >>
August 5, 2013
SKeyes launches journalist survival guide videos
The Samir Kassir Eyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom released its Journalist Survival Guide, a video training curriculum for journalists, activists and media professionals working in areas of conflict and other dangerous zones. GCJD supplied material needed for the accurate reporting module.
Read more >>
August 2013
GCJD Initiates Inaugural Workshop Class
This past fall the Center launched the Global Center Workshop course, designed to give senior mass communications student’s hands-on experience before they transition into the professional world. Under the direction of the Executive Director, ten students worked on various projects during the semester, exposing them to the day-to-day operations of the Center and allowing them to work on special projects.
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August 2013
GCJD Celebrates One Year and Moves to a New Space
The Center spent its first birthday moving into a beautiful new space in the Dan Rather Communications Building. GCJD hosted an open house to celebrate the move, and has hired new staff to allow further expansion of our programs. The Center now has two full time staff members, along with Executive Director, Kelli Arena, and is moving ahead with numerous projects for 2014.
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July 12, 2013
Journalists Seek to Avoid Gender Stereotypes in Burkina Faso
A free press, crucial to any democracy, plays a significant role in shaping public attitudes. It can reinforce voter stereotypes about certain types of candidates, or it can help dispel the kinds of opinions that for many years in many places have hampered efforts by women to become full partners in the political process.
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May 23, 2013
Presentation at the FBI National Academy
GCJD Executive Director Kelli Arena taught a class at the FBI's National Academy on May 23rd. The class is part of the FBI's National Academy program. The GCJD is committed to working with a variety of government agencies around the world to help them better appreciate the role of a free press and how to build credible relationships with journalists.
May 20, 2013
Traitement de l’information: Des journalistes burkinabè outillés sur la couverture genre
Aujourd’hui, l’importance des médias n’est plus à démontrer. Le contenu des informations peut cependant générer de nombreux problèmes et perpétuer les inégalités entre les sexes (féminin et masculin) dans les sociétés. C’est dans ce cadre que l’Institut national démocratique (NDI) en partenariat avec le centre mondial pour le journalisme et la démocratie (GCJD) ont organisé, du 14 au 16 mai 2013 à Azalaï Hôtel de Ouagadougou, une formation de renforcement des capacités des journalistes sur responsabilité sociale et couverture genre.
lefaso.net >>
May 17, 2013
Couverture médiatique du genre: le NDI attire l’attention des journalistes
Pendant trois jours, du 14 au 16 mai 2013, une cinquantaine de journalistes burkinabè ont appris et échangé leurs expériences en matière de couverture médiatique du genre. Cela grâce à l’Institut national démocratique (NDI) qui a initié ce séminaire, en partenariat avec le Centre global pour le journalisme et la démocratie (GCJD), sur « la responsabilité sociale (du journaliste) et la couverture médiatique du genre » et que la présidente du Conseil supérieur de la communication (CSC) a trouvé bienvenu.
burkina24.com >>
May 14, 2013
Dispatch from West Africa
The president of the Supreme Council on Communication in Burkina Faso promised journalists that the council will do all it can to prevent violence against journalists in the country. Beatrice Damiba condemned the beating of a television cameraman by angry civilians. “We call on the people to understand what it means to be good citizens and allow the media to work in peace and security to ensure that transparent information can get out based on the facts.”
GCJD News >>
May 6, 2013
Gender Equity Training in Burkina Faso
The media is full of cliches about women and girls often portraying them as one dimensional stereotypes. These images dangerously reinforce cultural prejudices and biases. By consistently striving for fairness and accuracy, journalists can help confront these distortions. It is with this goal in mind that the Global Center for Journalism and Democracy is headed to Burkina Faso. The center will work with about 50 journalists from throughout the country to help them understand how to more fairly portray women as they cover important stories.
GCJD News >>
May 3, 2013
World Press Freedom Day at Sam Houston State University
The Sam Houston State University Global Center for Journalism and Democracy in Huntsville, TX, is raising awareness through an online and on-campus campaign, providing an update on missing Texas journalist Austin Tice (reporting in Syria), and educating students about the dangers journalists face.
WorldPressFreedomDay2013 >>
May 2, 2013
Message from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on World Press Freedom Day
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has issued a message on 3 May World Press Freedom Day, the UN office in Baku told APA. The message says that freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “It is a cornerstone of good governance, sustainable development, and lasting peace and security."
en.apa.az >>
April 23, 2013
Video Available - Mary Fitzgerald, Irish Times foreign affairs correspondent
Fitzgerald, who is the foreign correspondent for the Irish Times, shared her recent experiences in Libya and Syria. She expressed great dismay that many news organizations have decided Syria is too dangerous for journalists. "If we give up on Syria, how will the world know what is happening there?"
Watch the video >>
April 10, 2013
Presentation To Reveal ‘Target’ On International Journalists
Irish Times foreign affairs correspondent Mary Fitzgerald will report on “the most fascinating, moving and inspiring story” of her career as a journalist on Thursday (April 18), during a Global Center for Journalism and Democracy presentation. Her presentation will focus on the extraordinary wave of revolutions and uprisings across North Africa and the Middle East since spring 2011 and the impact that’s had on journalists, as well as the risks and rewards of the profession.
KBTX.com >>
April 5, 2013
UPI Next and Sam Houston State team up to mentor Beirut journalists on oil and gas reporting
A new oil supply was recently discovered off the coast of Lebanon, raising new discussions about the country's oil and gas sector. For three Beirut journalists, that sector will be the focus of a special reporting project. The oil and gas reporting project is carried out through a mentoring partnership between UPI Next and Sam Houston State University's Global Center for Journalism and Democracy.
UPI NEXT >>
March 27, 2013
How much gas revenue will be stolen?
Lebanon is set to finish accepting pre-qualification applications from companies that want to bid on licenses to explore for offshore natural gas and oil on Thursday, effectively launching an oil and gas sector in the country. Given that Lebanon is perceived to be rampantly corrupt, it remains to be seen just how transparent this new sector will be.
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March 26, 2013
Future of Levantine Basin
Seminar on covering the Oil and Gas Sector looks at energy developments and the media in Lebanon. Though the seminar was chiefly designed to address the issue of covering the energy market (oil and natural gas) at large, the topic of how a new generation of Beirut journalists could report on the development of the Levantine Gas Basin naturally came up throughout the sessions.
UPI.com >>
March 25, 2013
GCJD is just back from training journalists who cover the Oil and Gas Sectors
The Global Center for Journalism and Democracy is just back from training journalists in Beirut to cover the Oil and Gas Sectors. GCJD organized the seminar in partnership with the Skeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom skeyesmedia.org. The event, which took place at the Riviera Hotel in Beirut on March 15-17, brought together journalists working in Lebanon and trainers with expertise in the fields of journalism, the industry and the environment. The goal of the training was to provide fundamental knowledge about Lebanon's oil and gas resources, to help journalists understand the phases of development, and to identify the many challenges that are sure to be met along the way.
GCJD News >>
March 22, 2013
Lebanon's Oil Industry Heading into Troubled Waters
Oil and natural gas from Lebanon’s yet to be exploited fields in the Mediterranean Sea are heading into troubled waters experts in Beirut predict. Unless the Lebanese government adopts stern transparency measures, wide-ranging corruption and gross unaccountability, rampant in the Lebanese political system, could cause the country to see important revenues diverted from the state coffers into private bank accounts.
Read more >>
March 18, 2013
Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press 2013
GCJD partner, the Samir Kassir foundation, is accepting admissions through April 5th for its Freedom of the Press award, available for journalists in the Middle East, North Africa, and Gulf regions. It is awarded by the European Union, on June 2 of every year, to commemorate the assassination of Samir Kassir. This year three 10,000 € prizes will award the Best opinion article, the Best investigative article, and the Best audiovisual report. The Award is open to candidates from the MENA region and the Gulf. Articles and audiovisual reports must have been published or aired between March 15, 2012 and March 15, 2013. Deadline for submission is April 5, 2013 and all details and conditions as well as the application form are available on the site listed below.
Samir Kassir Award 2013 >>
March 17, 2013
Middle East Strategic Perspectives
The Skeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom, in cooperation with the Global Center for Journalism and Democracy, organized a workshop on March 15-17, in Beirut, to train economic journalists in Lebanon on how to cover the oil and gas sector. Lebanon’s main business magazines were represented at the workshop, in addition to several daily newspapers.
Oil and Gas Updates>> >>
February 26, 2013
HIV doctors, advocates and patients offer facts and personal stories in video series
A series of informational videos about HIV/AIDS will soon be available for use by clinics and other groups that seek to educate, prevent or treat the disease. The videos are being produced by faculty and students in the Mass Communication Department through a research grant from SHSU.
GCJD News >>
February 1, 2013
Center's First Conference Trains Overseas Journalists
Journalists and dignitaries representing more than 15 countries throughout the Middle East, North Africa and Europe learned about and debated issues involving the coverage of international justice during SHSU’s Global Center for Journalism and Democracy’s first international training in Beirut, Lebanon.
Today @ Sam >>
January 30, 2013
Global Center takes media training to Lebanon
The idea of a free press has been well established for Western journalists. Ethics, writing style and developing the right sources are almost formulaic in the way American and other Western countries present the information written by the media. However, in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions this concept is brand new to the media who are now finding more freedom after the Arab Spring.
Lebanese Development Network >>
January 28, 2013
SHSU Dr. LaChrystal Ricke Signs Book Deal
YouTube has forever changed political communication and campaigning. For those interested in exploring this topic further, Mass Communication professor, Dr. LaChrystal Ricke, has just signed a deal with Lexington Books to write YouTube and Its Impact on Politics. Dr. Ricke says the book will discuss the evolution of YouTube and its impact on political campaigning, in-office communication, as well as public engagement and debate.
GCJD News >>
January 27, 2013
GCJD Executive Director to deliver Workshop at American Correctional Association Conference
Effective, accurate and timely communication with media outlets is especially important during a time of crisis or a critical incident within your agency or jurisdiction. Kelli Arena, longtime news correspondent with CNN, along with Alan Bernstein, a former re- porter and editor with the Houston Chronicle, will provide participants an opportunity to learn through an interactive workshop critical skills and knowledge that will enable them to build their communication competencies.
January 25, 2013
Justice & Journalism- United in Beirut
The tragic tales of Lebanese journalist May Chidiac and Marlise Simons of the New York Times are testament to the risks journalists take in covering conflicts. Chidiac lost an arm in a car bomb attack in 2005 and Simons was arrested, kidnapped & blindfolded in Latin America. These tales bring home the brutal reality of the risks in covering war crimes. They were central to the first ever gathering of law and media experts on ‘Media Coverage of International Justice’ in Beirut last week.
International Criminal Law Bureau >>
January 25, 2013
Global Center Hits the Road
The Global Center for Journalism and Democracy hosted its first international training, "Media Coverage of International Justice” in Beirut from January 18 to 20, 2013. Participants from fifteen different countries from throughout the Middle East, North Africa and Europe attended. The conference was hosted in cooperation with the Beirut based Skeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom.
GCJD News >>
January 22, 2013
What media coverage for the international justice?
Winds of change are sweeping through the Arabic states. While there is an ongoing revolution, media is lacking objective reporting that can easily be understood by the audience. Several problems were brought to light on Friday, at an international conference in Beirut addressed the ”Media Coverage of International Justice”.
iloubnan.info>> >>
January 22, 2013
Global center takes media training to Lebanon
The idea of a free press has been well established for Western journalists. Ethics, writing style and developing the right sources are almost formulaic in the way American and other Western countries present the information written by the media. However, in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions this concept is brand new to the media who are now finding more freedom after the Arab Spring.
The Houstonian >>
January 15, 2013
Center founded by former CNN correspondent launches overseas training
Kelli Arena, the former Justice correspondent for CNN knows a thing or two about journalism. So she’s taking what she’s learned on the road, training journalists around the globe. Sam Houston State University’s Global Center for Journalism and Democracy is hosting its first overseas training, bringing a team of journalists, experts and academics to Beirut, Lebanon.
Cypress Creek MIRROR >>
January 14, 2013
GCJD Partner SKeyes Announces "Media Coverage of International Justice: International Conference and Training Workshops"
A conference dedicated to bringing journalists from the Middle East and North Africa together to discuss how to better cover international courts and tribunals. The workshops will cover a wide array of topics, ranging from legal terminology, sources and resources on international justice, covering international trials for print media, video and photo coverage of international crimes, to the issue of international justice and social media, as well as the best ways to protect the presumption of innocence.
Samir Kassir Foundation >>
January 8, 2013
SHSU Global Center for Journalism and Democracy Conference in Beirut Planned
Executive Director Kelli Arena describes the upcoming "Media Coverage of International Justice" conference on local radio.
KSam 101.7 >>
December 21, 2012
Global Center for Journalism and Democracy To Take Its Mission Overseas in 2013
During her time at CNN, Kelli Arena covered every major story over the past two decades, from the 1987 stock market crash to the terrorist hearings in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Today @ Sam >>
December 20, 2012
Student to Travel Internationally for Media Coverage and International Justice Conference
The College of Fine Arts and Mass Communication’s Global Center for Journalism and Democracy is taking off, and a student will join the Center for the ride of his college career. Stephen Green, a senior studying multiplatform journalism and political science, will join a team of Sam Houston State University representatives traveling to Beirut to attend “Media Coverage of International Justice"...
GCJD News >>
November 14, 2012
Covering Elections: The Challenges of Training the Watchdogs
Kelli Arena, Executive Director of the Global Center for Journalism and Democracy, joined CIMA at the panel discussion on November 14, 2012, to consider how to address these challenges and create more effective training programs for watchdogs worldwide.
CIMA.org >>
October 29, 2012
Shahira Amin, "Egypt and the Post Revolution"
Shahira Amin, an independent journalist and activist in Egypt, shares her experiences and thoughts about the dramatic changes that are currently taking place in the Middle East and North Africa.
Watch the video >>
October 24, 2012
Egyptian Journalist To Present Debut Lecture For New Center
Shahira Amin, an independent journalist and activist in Egypt, will share with the Bearkat and Huntsville communities her experiences and thoughts about the dramatic changes that are currently taking place in the Middle East and North Africa on Monday (Oct 29).
Today @ Sam >>
October 5, 2012
Egyptian Journalist To Help Launch New Global Journalism, Democracy Center
Sam Houston State University has a new Global Center for Journalism and Democracy to provide resources, on-the-ground training, and online courses to journalists all over the world, especially in emerging democracies.
Today @ Sam >>