UBC: International Reporting Program
Mindset has embarked on a ground-breaking venture philanthropy initiative with The University of British Columbia. Mindset has donated funds to UBC to establish a new program in International Reporting for the UBC Graduate School of Journalism.
The International Reporting Program is the first course of its kind in Canada. It is a project-based seminar course focused on completing a work of serious international journalism, while studying reporting practices, history, theory and ethics. Students will examine the history of foreign correspondence, as well as the current state of international reporting, and hear from working foreign correspondents in the field. As part of their curriculum, students travel the world to report on a chosen underrepresented humanitarian issue and produce a documentary which is made available for distribution through an array of media (broadcast, print, online). Past distribution partners have been PBS’ Frontline/World, The Globe and Mail and Al Jazeera English.
On September 27, 2010, the ten students involved in the inaugural year of the International Reporting course won an Emmy for their documentary Ghana: Digital Dumping Ground. The documentary was nominated in two categories including Outstanding Investigative Journalism in a News Magazine and Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Research. The film won in the Outstanding Investigative Journalism category, editing out seasoned news competitors and teams from established US networks CBS and ABC.
Peter Klein is Program Director and also Acting Director for UBC’s Graduate School of Journalism. Peter is also a former producer with CBS News 60 Minutes, and has produced projects for many of the major American news programs, including Frontline, Nightline, 20/20 and 48 Hours.
Alison Lawton is Honourary Chair of the International Reporting Advisory Board, which meets quarterly to provide advice and guidance about program curriculum.
