Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the course Advanced Documentary Storytelling & Production. Master of Science in Journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Produced by Manu Ferreira
Advisor: Prof. Alisson Wood
Copyright 2022
"Succeeding in a New World" presents some of the challenges that international students face while living abroad. From the language barrier and academic pressure to the difficulty of making new friends from other countries. The special presentation also shows how they overcome cultural differences to have a great experience in the US.
Producer: Manu Ferreira
Director: Emmie Larson
Advisor: Kenneth R. Erdey
Copyright 2022
University of Illinois
Journalism can be a dangerous profession. Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) data shows that 1,400 journalists were killed around the world in the last 30 years. In addition, 1864 professionals were imprisoned and 69 missing. And most of that happened just because they were doing their jobs. What makes it even worse is that data collected in 2021 by UNESCO reveals that the impunity rate in the killings of journalists is 87%.
 |
| Credit: Pixabay |
A survey conducted by the Radio and Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) found that in 2020 one in five television news directors “reported attacks on employees and 86% of news directors purchased bulletproof vests and gas masks and sent security teams with reporters more often.” While more than half of the attacks occurred during coverage of protests, riots, or rallies, 15% happened randomly while teams were on the field.
Professor Marty Steffens, a professor at the Missouri School of Journalism, highlighted in an interview with CPJ how Donald Trump played an important role in the shift in police behavior toward journalists. “By fomenting the idea that the press is the enemy of the people…you really put journalists in the bullseye. Because the president pushes back against journalists and doesn’t respect them, local officials are empowered to do the same thing.”
Those numbers do not mention the other forms of violence and intimidation, such as threats, retaliation, and persecution online, including harassment, abuse, and hate speech. In The Washington Post article “Being a journalist in the U.S. is becoming more dangerous”, Jason Rezaian says that “many journalists have endured years of online harassment and abuse in silence. The industry has become desensitized to these attacks, accepting them as an occupational hazard.”
What is being done
When we look for who is monitoring threats to journalists, we can find some organizations that are collecting data, such as CPJ and the Press Freedom Track, a database of press freedom incidents in the U.S. It documents cases of arrests of journalists, seizure of their equipment, assaults, and interrogations at national, state, and local levels. However, is not easy to find what is being effectively done to stop the attacks and protect media professionals.
In 2013, the UN published a plan of action on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity. It provides a framework for cooperation between UN bodies, national authorities, media actors, and NGOs to create a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers, both in conflict and non-conflict situations.
More recently, in July 2021, Senator Ron Wyden introduced the Protect Reporters from Excessive State Suppression (PRESS) Act. The proposal establishes rules for how and when the government can use a compulsory process to obtain information about journalists working within the scope of news gathering, which includes data held by third parties like phone and internet companies. It was read and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary but, according to the Congress website, nothing has been done since then.
Speaking of online issues, a coalition of groups including CPJ and the International Press Institute created an Online Violence Response Hub to help journalists that deal with digital hate and violence. It offers safety consultations and other resources.
And CPJ along with the Free Press Unlimited and Reporters Without Borders have launched a People’s Tribunal on the Murder of Journalists to investigate attacks around the world. It consists of five hearings, taking place from November 2, 2021, to May 3, 2022.
In conclusion, any efforts to raise awareness about the safety of journalists are essential. As Sissel McCarthy says in her article “What is being done to protect journalists?” on News Literacy Matters, “an attack against a journalist is an attack on you and your access to fact-based information. When journalists can’t do their job, people in power are not accountable for their actions. That can lead to an environment ripe for corruption, censorship, and even war.”
*This article was submitted as a memo assignment for the course "Current Issues of Journalism" at the University of Illinois.
It’s been one month since Russia invaded Ukraine. More than 3.5 million people have fled the country looking for a safe place to live. Organizations all over the world started fundraising projects to help the refugees.
 |
| Credit: Farrah Anderson/Illinois Newsroom |
Here in Champaign-Urbana, the Ukrainian Student Association has raised over twelve thousand dollars with various initiatives, like rallies, t-shirt fundraisers, and a collaboration with other clubs on campus. Its President Larysa Brandys says they have been working to spread awareness about what is happening in Ukraine and to collect as many donations as possible.
“We are currently in process of planning a number of fundraisings with other organizations on campus such as UofI UNICEF chapter and the Center for Children Action Network. We're also planning a vigil scheduled for April 7th. It's going to be a collaboration with some other schools across the US that have Ukrainian clubs,” explains Brandys.
Another project on the University of Illinois campus was created by Carle Illinois College of Medicine. The students launched a medical and physical goods supply drive to get additional aid to the region. “These people need help, and the things they need are things many of us have lying around our homes. We all have the ability to make a difference in this crisis,” affirms Dylan Mann, a fourth-year medical student, and co-lead on the relief project.
Small businesses are also stepping up to support Ukraine. Central Illinois Bakehouse in Champaign recreated a traditional Ukrainian garlic bread to raise funds for children and families.
The International Committee is an organization that is currently in Poland supporting Ukrainian refugees with essential supplies and psychological care. Miranda says they are happy to bake for such an important cause.
“It’s a wonderful benefit to be able to give back to not only our community but to the global community. We love being able to benefit all of the people of the world and just not our small town.”
The goal is to sell five hundred Pampushky, which sum up a total of ten thousand dollars in donations. “We have currently sold a hundred twenty-six. We are matching the first ten thousand dollars in donations, which will be five hundred, so we are just going to stop when we hit our goal.”
The Pampushky is available at Central Illinois Bakehouse and Pekara Bakery in Champaign, at Urbana Farms Market, and Martinelli’s Market in Bloomington. It is also possible to order it online at centralillinoisbakehouse.com.
This article was published on the UI7 Newsroom website.
Watch the UI7Live TV story about the Pampushky:
In an age when fake news, misinformation, and disinformation are currently transforming into a bigger problem for society, the ability to analyze and understand media is more than necessary.
 |
| Credit: Getty Images |
Last year, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a law requiring Illinois’s public high schools to teach media literacy. The state became the first one in the country to follow such instruction.
Classes will start in the 2022-2023 school year. Students will learn how to verify the information they consume from various mediums, including digital, audio, visual, and print.
As soon as the bill was passed, the Colleges of Media and Education of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign teamed up to assist teachers to integrate media analysis and production into their classes. They are also helping to build a critical media literacy curriculum for schools.
“Many of us in the College of Media has been working on media literacy-related research and teaching in the last several years,” affirmed Professor Stephanie Craft, head of the Department of Journalism.
“When we heard about the new law, we wanted to be able to turn that work into action. Teaming up with curriculum and instruction experts in the College of Education seemed an ideal way to do that," said Craft.
The team has created the Initiative for Media Education Inquiry and Action (IMEDIA), which is formed by faculty members and doctoral students.
In June, IMEDIA will launch a pilot program on campus to find out what teachers have been doing in the area of media literacy and to help them integrate its components into their curriculum. It will be a three-day workshop, from 27th to 29th, for local teachers and potentially for teachers across the state.
“The end goal is quite simple. We want all of our students to be prepared to be critical media consumers,” explained Professor Sarah McCarthey, head of the Department of Curriculum & Instruction.
 |
| Credit: Jim Meadows/Illinois Newsroom |
*This article was published on the UI7 Newsroom website.
The University of Illinois’s system for COVID-19 testing has been expanded across the state. The saliva-based test now can be used in schools, community colleges, and communities sites.
 |
| Photo courtesy by CovidShield |
The CovidSHIELD was developed by the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign in 2020 to rapidly detect the virus in students, faculty, and staff, and mitigate infection on campus. The goal was to enable in-person learning during the 2020-21 academic year.
Due to its efficiency, the system was expanded to attend the whole state of Illinois.
Now, the SHIELD program provides a saliva-based test to over 1,600 K-12 schools, 57 universities and community colleges, and at 25 community sites.
That means that not only students or employees can take the test, but the population also will be able to get tested for free.
After taking the test, the state receives all results to process data and identify which variants of COVID-19 are predominant among the samples.
To find out a nearby location available and schedule an appointment, visit the website www.shieldillinois.com/get-tested/.
That speeds up the process and reduces the cost when compared to nasal swab tests, while also avoiding supply chain shortage.
More than 4 million tests were performed over the last year. According to a recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s study, its results on negative samples matched a comparator test 99% of the time.
Another study conducted by FDA showed that covidSHIELD's results on positive samples matched a comparator test 96% of the time.
*This article was published on the UI7 Newsroom website.
Copyright © . Designed By Templatezy
