PULLMAN, Wash. – A group of visiting students from the Middle East has earned the region’s top honor for radio feature reporting from the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and will compete against 11 other entries for national honors.
The students’ work, “Arab Impressions of America,” was created as part of a five-week academic program on new media in journalism hosted by The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University and funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. The Study of U.S. Institute (SUSI) for Student Leaders on New Media in Journalism is designed to develop the leadership and academic skills of aspiring young journalists from the Middle East.
“The chance I had in WSU is something I’ve waited my whole life for,” said Zainab Thamer, one of the students from Bahrain. “(At) WSU I felt I matter and my voice was heard. It is there where others believed in my abilities and it is there where I started to bloom.”
The group included six journalism students who took part in the SUSI program last summer, which brought together participants from five countries in the Middle East. The work was awarded first place in SPJ’s Region 10 “Mark of Excellence” competition.
“Our instructions to the students were purposefully simple: Write and record an essay with the title, ‘This is America,’ said Ben Shors, clinical assistant professor of journalism at Murrow College. “Obviously, the strength of these essays lies in the raw voices of the students. It’s a rare and distinct pleasure to hear directly from young Arab students about their views of America and how those views were shaped.”
“My SUSI experience is the most phenomenal experience I have ever had,” said Nihaya Jaber of the Palestinian Territories. “Because of this experience I feel that I become a better person and more mature.”
In addition to new media training, students learn about the foundations of free speech and differences in the practice of journalism in the Middle East and the United States. The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication has hosted the SUSI program for Middle East students since 2011. A new group of students will arrive on campus in June.
“I made friendship with new people from U.S. and Middle East. They learned from me and I learned from them,” said Reem Saif from Bahrain. “Today I’m proud to be one of the Cougs, and I will never forget my trip to U.S. and how it is (has) made me and my life better.”
“What we were taught there, whether inside the classroom or outside, will stay with me forever and I will cherish it,” said Talal Mubarak Al Shahri from Oman.
The SUSI program offers students opportunities for cultural exchange, including a home stay with American families, an eco-tour, a visit to a Native American reservation and a Fourth of July celebration. The students have also spent time on an integrated study tour in Seattle, San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. to learn about U.S. media and culture.
The team’s project will now compete in the national SPJ awards, along with five other first place finishers from the Murrow College. In all, WSU students received 14 awards in SPJ’s Region 10, which includes Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. The awards honor the best in student journalism. National winners will be notified later this spring and recognized at the Excellence in Journalism 2013 conference in southern California, Aug. 24-26.
The SUSI program is an integral part of the U.S, Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, whose mission is to foster mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries to promote friendly and peaceful relations. These efforts are accomplished through academic, cultural, sports and professional exchanges that engage youth, students, educators, artists, athletes and rising leaders in the United States and more than 160 countries.