ACADEMICS

Overview

Journalism is more than a job. A free press is a fundamental pillar of any truly free society.

EMJI is predicated on the belief that media practitioners – whether television or radio broadcasters, print news reporters, photojournalists, or support staff working behind the scenes – are more than simply purveyors of information to an audience of passive recipients.

To fulfill their societal role, journalists must be equipped to contextualize and interpret data; couch claims alongside counter-positions; serve as society’s institutional memory by tracking promises and programs over time; craft and position their dialectic to reach and impact their desired audiences; and imbue those audiences with the skills to assess critically the seminal social, political, and economic issues of our time.

Program Objectives

The EMJI curriculum has been crafted to afford advanced students of journalism, aspiring media professionals, or early- to mid-career journalists exposure to the skills, philosophical concepts, and networks necessary to ensure that program graduates are prepared to move beyond perfunctory media tasks to become dynamic contributors to local, regional, and international journalistic communities.

Curriculum

• Conceptual Bases

The philosophical tenets that underpin a robust free press are explored, as are issues of journalistic ethics and the special considerations associated with operating in conflict zones and sensitive intercultural settings.

• Skill Development

Coursework includes training in evaluating and reporting upon quantitative data; preparing for and performing in press conference and interview environments; and conceptualizing stories and packages to reach and impact target audiences. Issues of national and cultural identity as they impact reporting are also engaged.

• Experiential Learning

Group exercises are complemented by opportunities to apply newly acquired and enhanced skills in high-level briefing environments. Tours of media facilities and interactive sessions with working media professionals provide exposure to emerging media trends.

• Network Building

Participants hail from a variety of national, cultural, and media backgrounds, creating opportunities to develop international peer networks that are supplemented by the preexisting EMJI alumni network. Guest lectures by established professionals introduce young journalists to an array of potential career mentors.

• High-Level Briefings & Cultural Exchange

EMJI is hosted in Greece, the cradle of the democratic principles that inform contemporary notions of a free press and free society. Visits to cultural sites are complemented by briefings by high-level diplomatic, political, and media professionals from the region.