Volume V, Issue 2, 2013 GLOBAL SPOTLIGHT Special edition: Study of the United States Institute (SUSI) on Journalism and Media page 2 Institute for International Journalism, E. W. Scripps School of Journalism Vol. V Issue 2 - 2013 ditors’ Staff � Advisor Dr. Yusuf Kalyango Editors-in-Chief ote Aimee Sabrine Shyirambere It seems like just yesterday, we were eagerly awaiting the Pamela E. Walck arrival of 16 strangers to Athens, Ohio. Chu Wu Their names unfamilarN to the tongue. Their homelands little more than dots on maps. Knowledge of their national SUSI Directors and Staff media systems, politics and classroom experiences completely Dr. Yusuf Kalyango unknown. Prof. Bill Reader Six weeks later, the members of the Study of the U.S. Prof. Mary Rogus Institute on Journalism and Media (SUSI) class of 2013 – Dr. Jatin Srivastava funded through an annual, renewable grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Study of the U.S. Branch in the Office of Academic Exchange Programs – depart as friends. Contributing Writers They are experienced traveling companions, blossoming SUSI Program Assistants researching partners and welcomed members of the E.W. Kay-Anne Darlington Scripps family at Ohio University. Aimee Sabrine Shyirambere They have generously shared their cultures with each other Pamela E. Walck and program faculty and staff. They have welcomed each other Michael Wolven with open arms. Many are making plans to continue supporting Chu Wu one another once they return to their respective classrooms. Skype guest lectures among scholars in the same time zones SUSI Scholars have already been penciled into calendars. Syllabus materials Mrs. Consuelo Aguirre have already been exchanged among scholars. And research Ms. Shabnam Azim agendas have developed along with plans to attend future Mrs. Carole Chibbonta academic conferences. Dr. Sleiman El Bssawmai It is remarkable how much can change in such a short period Ms. Gunjidmaa Gongor of time. How strangers can become closer than brothers or Mr. Seymur Kazimov sisters. How the things that seemingly divide us can diminish Dr. Antonio Momoc over a meal made with affection and seasoned with friendship. Ms. Sibongile Mpofu How saying goodbye – regardless of one’s mother tongue – can Dr. Anand Pradhan be such a difficult thing. Mr. Eak Prasad In the following pages, you are invited to share a glimpse Ms. Beatriz LOVO Reichmann into the second half of the 2013 SUSI journey. We hope it helps Dr. Gulnura Toralieva keep memories strong until we meet again. Mr. Egidio Vaz Raposo Mr. Fernando Venegas Sincerely, Dr. Sharon Wilson The-Editors-in-Chief Dr. Yuriy Zaliznyak Photographer Robert Hardin Vol. V Issue 2 - 2013 Global Spotlight page 3 “More than 11,000 employees are living their daily lives and enjoying their unique jobs at Googleplex. Their unique work style makes them very likely the happiest employees in the U.S. – or even in the entire world.” SUSI 2013 scholars enjoy a guided, walking tour of the Googleplex during their July 18, 2013 visit. How Google conquered the world By Antonio Momoc Mongolia, Mozambique, Nepal, Ukraine, the U.S. – or even in the entire world. meet his or her colleagues. Anyone can the Googleplex: free food, free coffee, and SUSI Scholar, Romania Zambia and Zimbabwe) – had a once in a The work conditions that Sergei Brin bring their dog to the workplace; everyone free soft drinks. The company provides Any person on Earth that uses the lifetime opportunity within our program and Larry Page created for each of their is free to play if they feel like it: there is a food 24/7. The management encourages Internet, search engines, e-mail, blogs, at Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School employees are unimaginable in countries climbing wall, several bowling lanes, pool employees to eat healthy, to enjoy fish or social media, or any other tool from the 2.0 of Journalism: to visit the Googelers and such as the ones from which we, the SUSI billiard tables, seven gyms – in short, a fun salads. era should have the right to visit Google discover life there from inside out. scholars, come from. The managers have place to be and to work doing cool stuff. Last year, Google employees ate 3 Headquarters at least once in their lifetime. Google Headquarters is situated in thought of everything: from lunch to free You get the best ideas when you are million bananas. The most popular food People like me, who are very involved in California, in a place beyond the mist of time during breaks in work. One of the hiking, playing volleyball or relaxing. So here is Indian food, because of the many social media studies, consider Googleplex Silicon Valley, but not very far from San most important values of the company this is the reason why everyone at Google Indians who are employed by Google. But the Mecca of the Internet users. Francisco or Stanford University. More is to create a fun environment for its has 20 percent free time: you can work also Asian, Mexican, Japanese and Italian Last month, we – the SUSI scholars than 11,000 employees are living their employees. on your idea, finish your own projects, food is popular among the company’s from 16 countries (Azerbaijan, daily lives and enjoying their unique jobs at Lunch is a very social thing, so each and perhaps in the process, generate new employees. Bangladesh, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras, Googleplex. Their unique work style makes employee from a different culture has Google products. India, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, them very likely the happiest employees in lunch in Googleplex and uses the time to Anything one could wish for is found at Google continued on Page 4 page 4 Institute for International Journalism, E. W. Scripps School of Journalism Vol. V Issue 2 - 2013 “(Richard) Gingras is very aware of the fact that Google is changing the world.” continued from Page 3 Richard Gingras, Google’s senior director of news and social products, Working 24/7 will make you useless, so redefined the concept of news: that is why the engineers are free to chose “What is most important to you, as a the timetable when they come to work: human being, is news! What my mother, some work 6:00 to 14:00, others prefer a who is 90 years old, posts about her health schedule that is from 10:00 to 18:00. They condition is news for me,” he said. can always work from home, from their Gingras is very aware of the fact that local office, and are not obliged to come Google is changing the world. The types to the office at all. What other company of changes produced in the world by would do that? companies, such as Google, are inevitable. Being part of Google does not mean But progress is a choice. only having a wonderful job. It also means The right choice is to master new realizing that you are part of the change media technologies – otherwise, you will happening to the world. be mastered by them. (Above) Yuriy Zaliznyak, from Ukraine; Fernando Venegas, Chile; Sleiman El Bssawmai, Lebanon; and Seymur Kazimov, Azerbai- jan, enjoy a quick pick-up game of billiards during their July visit to Googleplex. (LEFT) Richard Gingras, Google’s senior director of news and social products, center, takes questions from 2013 SUSI scholars during a meeting July 18, while SUSI Scholar Egidio Vaz Raposo, Mozambique listens intently. (Right) SUSI Scholars tweet and text “live” their memorable meeting with Richard Gingras, senior director of news and social products. Vol. V Issue 2 - 2013 Global Spotlight page 5 HIGHLIGHTS: (part 2) Lectures on MEDIA SYSTEMS By Chu Wu and Pamela E. Walck Diverse nations and complicated political pasts – often involving dictatorships or a foreign nation’s control – leave in their wake equally complicated me- dia landscapes where government officials either dic- tate the news or do so use family members and close friends who act as media owners. During the second half of the Study of the U.S. Institute, the 2013 scholars heard from colleagues crossing the globe – from South America to Europe to Asia – on the media landscapes that make up the following nations: Chile SUSI scholar Fernando Venegas focused on how his homeland has evolved from being governed by a dictator to becoming a democratic society. He also noted that the wealth distribution in Chile is very un- even, and as a result, leads to a concentration of me- dia ownership among the nation’s wealthiest people. Much like its media ownership, Venegas said news content produced by media outlets is not diversified, either. In fact, crime coverage makes up the largest percentage of the nation’s news stories. He argued Highlights continued on Page 6 Antonio Momoc Romania page 6 Institute for International Journalism, E. W. Scripps School of Journalism Vol. V Issue 2 - 2013 continued from Page 5 nalism lacks credibility and professionalism. She said to issue libel writs against small, sundry bloggers. that the way the media portray crimes makes people news in the country’s most popular newspapers gen- And while some educators might soften their message be more afraid of the world they live in. Meanwhile, erally focuses on celebrities and gossip about gov- to journalism students, Wilson said she remains ada- sports and entertainment news round out Chile’s pri- ernment officials. Adding to the country’s credibility mant about the basic tenets of journalism. mary news content topics. woes: journalists often do not verifying facts before “I tell them to be objective. I tell them to go for the “People (are) starting to ask (news companies) for publishing stories.