[ABCDE] VOLUME 6, ISSUE 9 BY LUCIAN PERKINS — THE washington post A man holds out flowers as he leaves Basra, Iraq, while a British armored vehicle heads toward the city. The photo accompanied a story by Washington Post Foreign Editor Keith Richburg, who reported from the embattled country. The Foreign Correspondent A Look at the Journalists Who Provide Eyewitness Accounts, On-Sight Interviews And Reports of the Trends, Events and Ideas From Around the World. INSIDE Post Foreign Meet the Foreign Demise of Anguish in the Bureaus Correspondent the Foreign Ruins 3 7 12 Correspondent 16 June 5, 2007 © 2007 THE WASHINGTON POST COMPANY VOLUME 6, ISSUE 9 An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program A Word About The Foreign Correspondent Lesson: The foreign correspondent Having a global understanding is essential to being an provides an eyewitness account, educated individual and an informed leader. From locating on-sight interviews and reports a visitor’s homeland on a map to having knowledge of the of trends, events and ideas from culture, economy and political situation of another country, places around the world. This global students are better citizens of an interconnected world. understanding is essential to being This guide focuses on the foreign correspondents who an educated individual and informed leader. provide eyewitness accounts, on-sight interviews and reports of the trends, events and ideas from locations around Level: Low to high the world. An interview with the Post’s Foreign Editor Keith Richburg and two articles written by experienced Subjects: Journalism, Geography, reporters provide the foundation for understanding the Business job of the foreign correspondent. Articles by Post foreign Related Activity: Language Arts, correspondents illustrate correspondents covering war, Careers, Government giving context and insight into another culture, and providing perspective and background on political actions in other countries. Each NIE guide begins with suggested activities to use with The Post reprinted articles and those in the daily Washington Post. Each guide concludes with academic content standards of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia that apply to the suggested activities. Activities involve reading, responding, and writing. “Children should be encouraged to explore print through their reading and writing. When children have opportunities to write their own stories, to read their own and others’ stories, and to write in response to reading, they are able to employ much of their knowledge of reading in meaningful ways,” as stated in the introduction to the NCTE resolution “On the Importance of a Print-Rich Classroom Environment.” NIE Online Guide Editor: Carol Lange Art Editor: Bill Webster Send comments about this guide to: Margaret Kaplow Educational Services Manager [email protected] 2 June 5, 2007 © 2007 THE WASHINGTON POST COMPANY VOLUME 6, ISSUE 9 An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program Meet the Foreign Correspondent Washington Post Foreign Bureaus Keith Richburg’s prose is concrete • Do they all have the same byline? The Washington Post has 19 foreign and rich in details. For 19 years Is the article written by a Post foreign he was a foreign correspondent correspondent, local reporter or wire bureaus. To meet the individuals in these before becoming The Post’s Foreign service? bureaus and to read articles written by Editor. As he answers our questions, • Does the foreign correspondent/ he provides a clear picture of the reporter cover a variety of topics? them, go to http://www.washingtonpost. foreign correspondent’s responsibility Do the articles provide follow-up and com/wp-srv/world/foreignbureaus/index. and the personal side of being a update an earlier news report? correspondent. • In what ways do the articles html. Read and discuss “Meet the Foreign provide information? (Interviews, Correspondent.” personal observations, data are some Baghdad of the possible answers.) Beijing Locate the Correspondents • Does the article provide historical On a map, stick a pin or place a context? Comparisons and contrasts? Beirut dot where Post correspondents are • What new understanding do posted. You may do this exercise you have of events, culture, and the Berlin using the list of Washington Post people of this country or region? Bogota Foreign Bureaus or the datelines in today’s Washington Post. Read World Briefs Buenos Aires What nearby countries might the Give students practice in correspondent in Bogota cover? In summarizing while they read about Jerusalem Paris? In Shanghai? Which countries international events, places and Johannesburg in Africa would the correspondent people. Give students “The World in in Nairobi likely cover? In Brief.” You will need copies of The Kabul Johannesburg? Post that have The World in Brief Go to washpost.com/nie and section. London download the online Teacher’s Mexico City Manual, Main News, section, go Read a Review to pages 14 and 15. You will find “War Reporting” is a review of a Moscow the three-level lesson, “Culture and two-part PBS documentary Reporting Geography Through the Eyes of a America at War. It can be read and Nairobi Foreign Correspondent.” discussed as an example of how to note the weaknesses of a TV program New Delhi Follow a Foreign Correspondent while indicating its strengths. Paris Review the list of Washington Post Afterwards, students could be asked Foreign Bureaus. Assign or have to review a TV program. Saudi Arabia students select a location. Review This piece can also be used by where a dateline is found in a news teachers for background on well Shanghai article and what it indicates. regarded war correspondents and the Tokyo Read the News (A) section of expectations of a war correspondent. TheWashington Post for a week. If The sidebar on page 6, “Notable Toronto the Sunday Post is read, include the Correspondents” provides works Outlook and Arts sections. Record by and about individuals who are Listen to Washington Post Foreign editor the date, byline, dateline and headline identified in the review. of articles that report on the location. Keith Richburg every Thursday at noon Summarize the article. on Washington Post Radio (107.7 FM and Students may consider the following questions: 1500 AM). Richburg and host Sam Litzinger CONTINUED ON paGE 4 provide a roundup of the latest world news. 3 June 5, 2007 © 2007 THE WASHINGTON POST COMPANY VOLUME 6, ISSUE 9 An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program CONTINUED FROM paGE 3 between what a reader needs to know By Post Foreign Correspondents and wants to know? Debate the Fate of Foreign • Constable provides examples of Baker, Peter and Susan Glasser. Kremlin Correspondents the stories she has covered and the Rising: Vladimir Putin’s Russia and the Both “The Vanishing lifestyle of the foreign correspondent. Correspondent” and “Demise of the What do they reveal about being a End of Revolution. Paperback, revised Foreign Correspondent” were written foreign correspondent? edition. Potomac Books (2007). in January 2007 when the Boston • Constable believes “Americans’ Globe closed its remaining three need to understand the struggles of Constable, Pamela. Fragments of Grace: My overseas bureaus. distant peoples is greater than ever.” Search for Meaning in the Strife of South Journalism, Government and What examples does she give to Economics students in particular support this concept? Asia. Potomac Books (2005). may find the articles of interest. After • Hiatt argues that foreign reading the two articles, the following correspondents bring “a sense of Hoagland, Jim. South Africa: Civilizations may be discussed or given on a the world that worked to readers’ in Conflict. Houghton Mifflin Co. (1972). worksheet to answer: benefit.” Give two examples of • What are the reasons events or cultures that a foreign Kelly, Michael. Martyr’s Day: Chronicle of a newspaper has foreign correspondent could help you to correspondents? understand? [To illustrate Hiatt’s a Small War. Vintage (2001). • What is the financial reality of the point: In Jan. 2007, John Pomfret, business side of running a newspaper former China and West Coast bureau Pomfret, John. Chinese Lessons: Five (expenses vs. advertising, individual chief, was appointed Outlook editor.] Classmates and the Story of the New copy sales and subscriptions)? China. Henry Holt and Co. (2006, www. • Approximately how much is After reading the articles and added to a newspaper’s expenses answering and discussing the johnpomfret.net) when a foreign bureau is added? Why questions, students should divide into do bureaus in Iraq and some other five groups. They will represent the Reid, T.R. Confucius Lives Next Door: locations have exceptionally high following: What Living in the East Teaches Us About expenses? • Owners of newspapers Living in the West. Vintage (2000). • Review the bios of the two — families, media companies, reporters. In what ways are their businessmen; in a small town and in points of view influenced by their a large city Richburg, Keith. Out of America: A Black experiences? • Foreign correspondents — Man Confronts Africa. Harvest/HBJ Book • When Fred Hiatt questions why experienced as Hiatt and Constable (1998). the Boston Globe would “diminish • Owners of large corporations itself in this way,” is he referring only — some with international branches Shadid, Anthony. Legacy of the Prophet: to numbers? Explain. • Members of Congress • What are the arguments given for • Local citizens — media Despots, Democrats, and the New Politics closing foreign bureaus? Do students consumers of Islam. Paperback. Westview Press agree or disagree with the reasons Each group discusses and forms (2006). given? statements on 1) the importance • What are the advantages of using of having foreign correspondents Shadid, Anthony. Night Draws Near: Iraq’s individual, freelance reporters rather established in locations around the than staffing a bureau? globe, 2) whether their local media People in the Shadow of America’s War. • According to Constable, what should have foreign correspondents, Picador (2006).