This month, journalists and broadcast professionals from the Edward R. Murrow program visited local Minnesota news agencies to understand U.S. press freedoms, illustrate how new technologies shape the news, examine how media influences and reflects American society, and demonstrate the influence of social media and digital technologies. These emerging professionals traveled from Bulgaria, Iraq, Kuwait, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Tunisia as part of the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program.
Global Minnesota members were among the first to welcome these visitors by providing home-cooked meals as part of our Home Hospitality dinner hosting. They began their professional exchange experience the following day with back-to-back meetings at Hamline University with local news outlets MinnPost and Pioneer Press. An overcast day overshadowed their potential view of the solar eclipse during lunch at Malcom Yards, but they soon returned to Hamline for a discussion with journalism students. The following day included a conversation with University of Minnesota journalism professors, followed by an amazing tour of the KARE11 news studio. This trip included “speed networking” with many of KARE11’s top editors and producers, followed by a chance to sit in-studio during a live broadcast of the 5:00pm news.
On their final day, they toured WCCO Radio and participated in a live interview about their experience. Their last major stop was with Sahan Journal, where they learned about Sahan’s focus on underrepresented communities in Minnesota. The trip closed with a joyous Eid dinner as many of the participants marked the end of the month of Ramadan. In all, the visit sparked numerous insights and innovations into how people from across the world can promote a free press and better reflect their societies.
See photos and news highlights below!
WCCO Interview
Hamline Oracle Article
