International Journalism Committee-Goals and Objectives

On a weekly basis, I've been getting e-mail from journalists from around the world -- mostly in countries with limited resources for good journalistic training. The same message comes through -- please help us.

Yes, there are established universities and organizations that are training journalists in other countries, but their focus appears to be other universities and organizations in the urban parts of those countries.

My personal interest is in southern Africa where their press is located in the largest cities. However, 70-80% of those Sub-Sahara countires are rural villages who don't get their news and information through conventional western-style media outlets. They are the same people who are suffering the most through crop losses, militia intrusion, and corrupt local governments.

Many of these villages have people with the African version of ink in their veins and want to be good journalists, but only have a Colonialist-style of tabloid journalism to use as a guide. This style of journalism has only given governments a great excuse to impose strict restrictions on press freedoms and strengthened government control of the media.

I receive other e-mails from other countries who are developing their baby-steps of a free press in not-so-free governments in areas once controlled by the Soviet Union. Again, the cry from them is a universal "help" us, fellow journalists.

When I participate in a committee or an organization, I like to look at the goals-and-objectives, see if there is an action plan to implement those goals-and-objectives, and then evaluate how successful the committee has been.

For those of you officially on this committee, there must be a reason you agreed to participate in this international committee. Everyone has a hot-button of interest that you would like to see this committee accomplish. Please let the group know so we can get started in accomplishing something as a committee.

For those of you who are not on this committee, but may be interested in what we are setting out to do -- please let us know what you would like to see us accomplish. If you know of a special need in a country that could benefit from something this committee may be able to accomplish, I need to know that so we can set an agenda, develop goals-and-objectives, develop and implement an action plan, and start checking off our accomplishments propelled by a really dynamic committee of really great people!

I'd like to hear from the committee with your list of things you would like to us to do. I'll set a deadline of the end of the month of May for your input.

Cordially,
Alan Kania, Chairman
SPJ International Journalism Committee