UBC School of Journalism, Writing, and Media
JWAM.UBC.CADonate
Global Reporting Program

Syllabus (Winter 2024/Spring 2025)

Overview

This is a project-based course for students interested in exploring the unique challenges of global reporting, with a focus on critical analysis of current norms and experimentation with innovating the practice. The course is an opportunity to experience and practice global reporting and examine the nature of international news.

The course offers students opportunities to experiment with new forms of global journalism, like solutions-focused reporting, and takes a critical approach to “foreign parachute reporting” techniques. Students will examine real-world examples of ethical issues in international reporting. We will use case studies to examine the rich philosophical and economic elements of this unique field of reporting. We will address issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion through discussions and examples. We will question the norms and practices common in global journalism and work to create close collaborations. This is a chance to think about global issues and to practice a deeply connected local approach to journalism.

Students are drawn from both journalism and subject-area disciplines, offering opportunities to combine academically-grounded research with journalism-led mobilization of knowledge.

All students must abide by the Global Reporting Program’s Ethics Guidelines.

The class will be structured around a two-term project. We will endeavour to publish the project in the spring.

Course objectives

  • To identify global stories; research and report on global issues; familiarize oneself with the basic skill set needed for mediums
  • To understand how to research complex global issues, and to mobilize research to broad global audiences
  • To inform students about the practices and behaviour of global journalists in the reporting of global issues, from conceptual considerations to collaborative journalistic practice
  • To familiarize students with safety protocols, practical strategies and journalistic practices in order to adequately contend with possible field reporting and working in challenging circumstances
  • To inform students about how to report global/international stories and to allow them the opportunity to practice research, reporting and storytelling
  • To examine the changing role of global journalism in societies
  • To understand different forms and definitions of global journalism
  • To explore the different ways stories are addressed for local, national and global audiences

Course topic

The world is more globalized than ever — and yet we have more border walls today than any other time in human history. When the Berlin Wall came down, there were a dozen border walls left standing around the globe, and there was hope for those disappearing, as the Cold War ended and a new era of global openness was launched. But that era was short-lived. Today there are 75 border walls. Some of these walls — like the fortified border between North and South Korea — go back many decades and are the result of wars. But most were erected over the past 20 years, with the goal of keeping migrants out — separating rich from poor, and secure from insecure. This year’s Global Reporting class will focus on the reterritorialization of the globe, through exploring these walls.

Course structure

Students will meet in-person weekly for two hours in class with instructors on Wednesdays from 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Pacific Time. Students will also have weekly “lab” time on Mondays from 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Pacific Time, which will be an opportunity for smaller groups to work together on the project. These may be in person or remote. (In the fall term, we will switch class and lab time on a few occasions because of scheduling challenges.) Student work on the project will continue until the end of April 2025.

Course work will require collaboration. You will be working with fellow students and faculty members to create professional-quality journalism. You will be expected to incorporate the ideas of others into your project. This course requires a significant time commitment, level of research rigor and energy. You are working to create a publishable work of journalism.

Understanding how to work collaboratively is critical for journalists, researchers and scholars who plan to work in the field of global affairs, and students will have a two-semester-long experience of working closely with their diverse classmates and professors to produce an exceptional piece of journalism/knowledge mobilization. Students will dive deep into research and data to determine how to surface, rank and then pursue stories.

All shared reporting documents (eg, contact list, literature list, interview notes, etc.) will be kept in a shared Google Drive folder. Student communication will be done on Slack.

Grades

Think of this course like a professional publication — your pitches, stories, research, and reporting will be edited and revised until they meet the editorial standards required for publication. Therefore, the emphasis will be on feedback and support instead of standard graded evaluations. If you submit an assignment that does not meet ethical, editorial, or academic standards, you will be asked to revise.

You will submit self-assessments each quarter that reflect on your contributions to the class/project. In this assessment you will complete a written reflection. Assessments will be submitted to the teaching team and discussed each quarter. We will talk through your successes, contributions, any questions you have, and any areas of improvement.

Assignments

Participation - Class attendance is mandatory. We will begin promptly at 9:30 AM. If you must miss a class, you must inform instructors beforehand. We also expect all students to participate in lab sessions, which are workshops/editorial meetings. (10%) (5% per semester)

Reporting Memo - This is a research paper that explains the reporting and research you have completed so far. We require you to cite, at minimum, 20 individual and varied sources (academic papers, grey papers, reports, journalism, data, etc.) and contextualize how that source informs your project: Why is this source important? What are the key elements/findings? Potential biases? You must also include interviews completed, key findings and quotes from those interviews, and a description of how it ties to the overall project. Due October 21, 2024. (15%)

Research and Reporting - Your first term will be spent researching and reporting in preparation for fieldwork. This will include a number of assignments including: reviewing/reading relevant literature (primary and secondary sources), maintaining contact lists, interviewing sources, transcribing interviews, and preparing story pitches. Contributions will be made constantly and will change depending on the requirements of the project. (15%)

Pre-Production - As we get closer to conducting fieldwork, we will have a number of planning documents, including a reporting/production schedule, budget, prepared questions, and safety protocols. (10%)

Post-Production - Your second term will be spent in post-production. This will include a number of assignments/tasks including: organizing media, writing/preparing drafts (in a variety of formats/mediums), preparing assets (photography, videos, data, etc.), revisions and editing, preparing a communications plan, and fact-checking. (50%)

Travel

We intend to travel in December (sometime between December 5 – 21, 2024). By October we intend to have our destinations sorted and will begin the process of securing access (sources, visas, etc.) and making travel arrangements (including flights, accommodations and security). We will follow UBC’s protocols around global travel and safety practice.

All travel-related costs will be covered by the program, except food. Students should budget at least $500 CAD in out-of-pocket costs, including any potential vaccinations needed and food in the field. Each team will be given a fieldwork budget, and team members are responsible for crafting budgets for review and approval by the teaching team and abiding by them. Please note that travel is NOT required for this course – students can get full marks without doing fieldwork, although we offer this opportunity to all students interested and able to travel. Please also note that travel is NOT guaranteed. It is contingent on completion of all first-term course work to a high quality and ethical standard. Students who do not complete assignments and prepare for travel will not participate in fieldwork.

Communication

This course works best when lines of communication are open and streamlined. We will use several tools to keep in contact. But remember, the tools only work if they are used effectively. And your graded assignments are tied to your contribution within these channels.

Slack - Our main method of communication will be through Slack. Think of the GRP as a hybrid in-person/remote newsroom — we can stay in contact with one another, share ideas, readings, questions, etc. over Slack. Slack can also be used to prepare for production and share links, readings, ideas and files.

Google Drive - The central course drive is the place for keeping shared contacts, which will allow for organized and streamlined communication with sources. It is also the place to share relevant research documents that are needed by the entire class.

Secure Communications - There are several apps that can be used for secure communication with sources, reporting partners, etc. We use Signal. Signal can be used for conversations (including group conversations), document sharing, and phone calls that need to remain secure or contain confidential information. It can also be used to make international calls.

Skype and Zoom - The GRP has a Skype account that can be used to make international phone calls (to landlines or cell phones). Login information will be shared with the class. Zoom can also be used to conduct interviews. Remember that Skype and Zoom are not secure methods of communication. Any sensitive subjects or materials should be shared using secure methods. Please ask for guidance if you are unsure how to proceed.

Email - Email should be used minimally. Where possible, we communicate with one another on Slack. But email can be used to connect with your fellow classmates, teaching team, for external communication to sources, etc.