We hope you enjoy these top news stories about TFAS activities, alumni and events this week. Please visit us on social media for additional up-to-the-moment TFAS news and information and sign up to receive weekly updates.
World-Class Leaders Teach Ethics and Fundamentals of Journalism
Though COVID-19 travel restrictions are still in place for many countries, The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) is continuing to offer its transformative international programs this year, including the European Journalism Institute 2021 Virtual Seminar.
Hosted in partnership with The Media Project, the program allowed student and professional journalists to learn about journalism and public policy issues while expanding their international networks.
Nearly 40 participants from 22 countries joined the three-day virtual conference this year to hear from journalists and professors around the world on “A Digital Exploration of Key Themes and New Trends in Journalism.” Touching on similar topics to the in-person program, the 2021 virtual seminar focused on entrepreneurship, storytelling and religion reporting.
On day two of the seminar, participants heard from a panel of experts on “Storytelling in Journalism.” This session highlighted how different mediums can tell different stories and how to overcome storytelling challenges posed by occurrences like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Suzanne Kianpour ’09 believes that the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have encouraged journalists to use technology for storytelling in groundbreaking ways. The BBC foreign affairs and political reporter credits this new era of technology with the start of her podcast, The Inquiry. Kianpour said that audio storytelling, like podcasting, has the ability to connect with people in a completely different way than the traditional news article or broadcast interview.
“The pandemic, when it comes to storytelling in particular, made us think differently and get creative,” Kianpour said. “I think we’re seeing a resurgence of audio storytelling. Audio is so intimate and I think the pandemic heightened that. I found that during the pandemic, more people were more willing and more vulnerable and open in telling me their deepest thoughts and feelings. There really is something about not seeing the story, and listening to it and really feeling it.”
Read more about the European Journalism Institute 2021 Virtual Seminar at TFAS.org/EJIRecap21.
Featured Alumnus: Tim Carney, Novak ’03
TFAS alumnus Tim Carney, Novak ’03, has encountered success not only in his reporting on the intersection of business and government, but also as an opinion writer for numerous outlets and a guest on a variety of news stations. A 2003 Robert Novak Journalism Fellow, he is now a Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a senior political columnist at the Washington Examiner.
As a direct result of his Novak Fellowship, Carney has authored three books: “The Big Ripoff: How Big Business and Big Government Steal Your Money,” “Obamanomics: How Barack Obama Is Bankrupting You and Enriching His Wall Street Friends, Corporate Lobbyists, and Union Bosses,” and “Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse.”
Carney sees his time as a Novak Fellow as the impetus of his success and is grateful because of the role it played in every journalistic venture he undertook.
“The Fellowship was the single most important building block in my career,” Carney shared. “Without it, I wouldn’t have published books, gotten a column at the Washington Examiner, been selected as a Resident Fellow at AEI or been hired for many of the jobs I’ve had. Every aspect of my career is an aftershock of the Fellowship.”
Learn more about Carney at TFAS.org/CarneyFeature.
Week Six of TFAS – Living, Learning and Interning in Washington, D.C.
During week six of the TFAS D.C. Academic Internship Programs, undergraduate students from across the U.S. participated in a variety of Career + Industry Exploration sessions, professional development seminars, guest lectures, moderated debates and more.
Photo by: Anthony Bolognese, Capitol Hill Photo.
On Monday, July 12, a small group of International Affairs students learned about the World Bank from TFAS alumna Lois Goh ’13, who has worked with the World Bank for six years. An eager supporter of TFAS students, Goh offered advice and insight to students participating in the session. She encouraged students to conduct informational interviews with industry professionals as they begin the job search in order to build their networks and gain important career insights.
“Informational interviews are key because D.C. is a place of connections,” Goh shared. “Be sincere and curious about what people do. When you set up an interview, simply ask for 10-15 minutes. Ask pointed questions, like which classes they wish they would have taken in school to help prepare them for their career and how their staff goes to lunch.”
On Tuesday night, Journalism + Communications students learned what it’s like to cover campaigns, politics and presidents with Alexandra Jaffe ’09, a reporter with Associated Press. The following day, International Affairs students heard from Shannon Hayden about the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Students in the Public Policy + Economics program participated in a student-led Braver Angels debate on universal healthcare policy.
Read more about week six at TFAS.org/Week6Recap.
Post of the Week
TFAS student Emily Mecia ’21 shared on LinkedIn about her internship experience with MetLife’s Global Government Relations team. Mecia is the daughter of TFAS alumnus Tony Mecia ’92, ’93, Novak ’01, executive editor of the Charlotte Ledger.
QUICK LINKS
TFAS President Roger Ream ’76 joined Charles Heller on Liberty Watch Radio to discuss how TFAS is building the next generation of responsible, honest journalists and his recent op-ed on media bias and objectivity in RealClearPolitics.
Faith Bottum, Rago ’21, discusses the importance of particle physics on an episode of South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s “In the Moment” podcast.
Matthew Walther, Novak ’16, explains how he believes history should be taught in schools in a piece for The American Conservative.
Helen Andrews, Novak ’17, will be a featured speaker on a panel for “An Evening with Peter Thiel” on October 20 in Miami.
Rachel Currie, Novak ’05, writes about returning to work post-pandemic in a piece for International Women’s Forum.
Michelle Easton ’73 has written a new book titled “How to Raise a Conservative Daughter,” which examines the challenges of raising children in today’s world.
Nina Trentmann ’08 coauthors an article for The Wall Street Journal on how companies are saving money by cutting office space.
TFAS Law Fellowship Board Member Ilya Shapiro writes for The Wall Street Journal on his efforts to reform his child’s school board in Virginia.
Alessandra Bocchi, Rago ’20, writes on the Biden administration’s relations with Libya in a piece for The Wall Street Journal.
Katherine Mangu-Ward, Novak ’05, identifies how we can all come together to bridge party lines in politics in a piece for Reason Magazine.
Mark Stansberry ’76 is featured in Oilman Magazine for his success in the energy industry.
Allison Smith ’06 is now the Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Congressional Affairs at Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.