Starting Over

After two and a half years teaching journalism to students at the American University in Cairo, I’m heading back to the world of journalism itself after this semester. It’s hard to believe that time has flown by so quickly. I went from a new professor, fresh from New York, trying to figure out the culture intricacies of living and teaching in Cairo to a not-so-new professor that started to call Cairo home. In the last couple of years, I saw my students do things that made me really proud. Some are off at graduate school, some are working as journalists and winning awards (one will even be my colleague at my new job) and others are off living their dreams in whatever field they chose and continuing to make me proud. I hope they’ll remember me as fondly as I’ll remember them. Even their terrible excuses made me laugh when I wasn’t going crazy. I got to know quite a few of them on a personal level and I am so happy to have crossed paths with these students. Now that the semester is approaching an end, I am looking back at the last two years and I think we’ve done a great deal to be proud of. Good luck to everyone at AUC and I’ll miss you guys.

The Role of Twitter in Journalism

So in my last post, I completely hammered Twitter. And I admit, I still am not big on the obsession over the social networking tool. That being said, it DOES have its uses in journalism. And to teach that, I decided to bite the bullet, become a hypocrite to the world and join the Twitter Revolution. 

Now do I need to know every time a human being goes to the bathroom? Not particularly. But in this day and age of online journalism, there are stories to be told. And the faster we get those stories out, the better it is for us. For instance, The Austin American Statesman has used Twitter to get the news out and do some public service in the process. During Hurricane Ike, reporters used Twitter to give up-to-the-minute updates on the path of the storm and the damage it left in its wake. It also used Twitter to allow followers to ask questions about whether their house was still standing. I’m on the fence about reporters fulfilling that role but I’m sure the people that they helped were appreciative.

And, of course, the hysteria over swine flu has also allowed Twitter to become a staple of coverage. Twitter’s SwineFluWatch shows interested parties various news updates about the spread of the illness.  Unfortunately, though, rumors have also plagued the world of Twitter when it comes to swine flu so there is concern about causing a panic. 

It’s a double edged sword, to be sure. I see the benefits of Twitter. You can get on the scene news fast and for information junkies in the news biz, that’s invaluable. But Twitter can also be used improperly or worse, in such a dull manner, that all you want to do is hide from all technologies. I guess its the role of the journalist to determine how to use it properly. So I’ll try. But somehow, I still feel like I need to take a shower now that I’ve joined.

Tweet This

As an online journalist and a professor of digital journalism, you would think that I would be all about the new technologies. And to some level I am. But there is just something about Twitter that actually bugs me. Maybe its the fact that we as a society feel that everyone needs to know what we are thinking about or doing every second of the day. Now, I admit it. I have Facebook and I do go on it fairly religiously. And yes, I do post status reports on it fairly regularly. Okay, so maybe I’m a bit of a hypocrite. But this obsession with Twitter really boggles my mind.

It’s bad enough that Ashton Kutcher has surpassed CNN when it comes to Twitter subscribers (granted it was a bet for a good cause) by hitting the one million mark but the fact that members of Congress feel that its okay to Tweet about every thing happening during a Congressional meeting somehow makes me feel like we’re now in the Twilight Zone. I mean, really. Do I need to know from some stodgy Congressional representative that he (or she) feels like napping at the meeting? I’ve seen their meetings on CSPAN. I can understand WHY they would get put to sleep. But it doesn’t make me feel comforted in the lawmakers of my nation to know that they are just as bored of the proceedings as I am. After all,don’t they HAVE to pay attention??? 

I don’t know. Just my rant of the day.

571 Students Tackle the Tough Issues

My graduate online journalism class has had a rough semester. Not only was their professor (that would be me!) out for three weeks earlier this spring due to an unfortunate and annoying case of the chicken pox but they were also asked to break out of their comfort zones and tackle some topics that are normally taboo here in Egypt. Specifically my poor students — many of whom hadn’t me yet — were given a royal decree to pursue a sex story as their first online article. I’m sure many of them were wondering what kind of pervert was teaching them this semester. But they rose to the challenge and the 571 class managed to produce some excellent journalistic copy tackling issues from paid customers in Cairo restaurants (think hookers without the sex) to female genital mutilation to sex education to online dating to sex and companionship among the elderly. Hardly topics that are raised over dinner conversations here in Cairo. Their full articles can be found on their student blogs (links are provided in my blog roll) so please take a look.

But just when they were patting themselves on the back over a job well done, I hit them with the next whammy. Security stories. Now anyone that’s familiar with Egypt knows that people DO NOT discuss sex and security here. Both topics are off limits for cultural and political reasons. And my students hated the topic. But even with the struggles, we did find some gems from buying guns to the insecure lives of street children. Once again the articles will be up on their sites. Questions? Comments? Let us know. 

In the meantime, they are off to cover their next assignment — business. Ahh, I love being the professor.

Funny News Guy

Sometimes I just really need a good laugh. And that’s when I turn to television journalists. I’ve done on-air before, at CNBC Asia and as an online reporter at CNNMoney.com, so I know how difficult it can be to get the right shot and not sound like an idiot. I can empathize.

But sometimes a news guy comes along and cracks me up. This YouTube link from Indian reporter Chand Nawab, reporting from Karaaa-chi (my family’s hometown, by the way, in Pakistan) had me on the floor. Don’t worry if you don’t understand Hindi. Some on-air presentations go beyond language. And for you on-air hopefuls, his on-air diction may not be what you should go for. Unless you want to become a YouTube hit. In that case, by all means, emulate the man. 

Joining My Students

 

 

Teaching online journalism from the floor of my office.

 

 

So, I’ve heard the groans and seen the rolled eyes. Yes, my online graduate class is being forced to blog and being a compassionate professor, I’m joining the fray.

Here at the American University in Cairo, my goal is to take away some of the mystery surrounding online journalism. With the global media market in a meltdown its even more important for Arab media to embrace online journalism. 

And please feel free to add comments. We want to hear your thoughts on journalism at AUC and in Egypt. 

So sit back and enjoy the postings.

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