Solicitation for Nominations for the FY-05 International Visitor Leadership Program "Journalism Education in the U.S."

The Public Affairs Section invites nominations for the International Visitor Leadership program "Journalism Education in the U.S." that will take place early to mid-2005, with a pre-departure briefing in Moscow prior to departure.  The exact dates have yet to be determined.  The program is intended for faculty members and administrators of Russian journalism schools, as well as members of associations attempting to influence the direction of journalism education in Russia (such as journalism unions, lobby groups, etc.).  Candidates should be actively engaged in journalism education curriculum development, administration, or otherwise addressing journalism education issues, and be prepared to take dialogue to a new level by engaging U.S. thinkers in ongoing discussion and collaboration.. Successful candidates will be in a position to implement change in their institutions based on what they learn and experience through the program.

Brief description of the project:

New schools of journalism of different varieties have been mushrooming in Russia, particularly at provincial universities.  These schools are attempting to introduce new curricula and teaching methods, but their faculty lack experience.  They often seek guidance from more established departments of journalism in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but these tend to be conservative with many Soviet-era faculty and generally not inclined to assist provincial colleagues.  A program specifically designed for faculty members and administrators from new journalism schools would make a significant contribution to reforming journalism curricula.  It would also contribute to the preparation of journalists better prepared to fulfill the "watchdog" role of the press in established democracies.

Project Goals:

• Introduce faculty of recently established schools of journalism to the teaching of journalism in the U.S. and to think tanks working on journalism education;
• Familiarize participants with journalism ethics and press freedom in the U.S., including legislation related to reporting;
• Discuss the Freedom of Information Act;
• Demonstrate how newspapers and magazines check facts, maintain separate news and editorial staff, maintain a firewall between news and business operations, and pursue investigative and "civic journalism" to develop stories of interest and importance to the publication's readership;
• Discuss the development of journalism curricula;
• Discuss the difference between journalism and public relations;
• Discuss the nature of student internships in media and extra-curricula activities such as university papers;
• Discuss TV journalism;
• Trace the history of U.S. journalism, including the development of ethical standards;
• Discuss media advertising;
• Discuss the relationship between reporters and private or government public affairs officers, including law enforcement spokesmen;
• Explore opportunities for professional exchanges and internships, both for faculty and students.

Complete nomination packages should be sent to the IVL office. IVL Program guidelines.

Please keep in mind that candidates should be carefully selected as someone who would benefit from a particular project.  Unlike some exchanges, candidates for the IVL programs must be nominated by an American member of the mission and individuals cannot "apply" or nominate themselves. The IVL Program is intended for mid-career professionals who make significant contributions to their field and who will continue to have a positive, long-term impact in their profession and in Russia.  Candidates should preferably be between the ages of 25 and 55.  Nominees younger than 25 are very rarely selected because they are not yet far enough along in their career to fully benefit from the program.  Since Russian women must retire at the age of 55 and Russian men at 60, persons nearing those ages will also be considered less favorably.

A person who has received a J-1 visa (which indicates that s/he has participated in a USG-sponsored trip) within the past five years, is not allowed under State Department regulations to travel again to the U.S. as a participant in the IVL program until those five years have passed.  In addition, nominees who have had little or no opportunity to travel to the U.S. will be given special consideration, although persons having visited the U.S. in the past will not be excluded if their visits were limited in scope. Because the IVL Program is intended to benefit all areas of Russia, multiple candidates working in the same town, especially at the same agency or institution, should generally not be nominated for the same program. Exceptions are made for programs involving officials working in Moscow in government ministries or institutions, or programs with a regional focus (which would be indicated in the project description).  Candidates do not have to speak English as interpreters will be provided.

Please be aware of the competitive nature of the IVL Program, and be careful not to imply any type of guarantee to your contacts that they will be selected.  We often receive many qualified candidates, and not all deserving nominees can be chosen.  The nominating officer should also ensure that the nominee understands the nature of the IVL program in general, as well as the specific focus of the project they are nominated for.  If you need additional information or materials to provide to the individuals you nominate, please don't hesitate to contact our office.  We can also help you understand what type of justification information about nominees is most relevant during the selection process.

If nominees do not have international passports, nominating officers should advise them to immediately begin the application process at the time of nomination, because the process often takes up to 30 days, and sometimes longer. The Russian-language biodata form that is filled out by the nominee and the English-language nomination form that is filled out by the American nominating officer are attached to this e-mail.  The expectation is that nominating U.S. Officers have met each nominee, and therefore can complete the justification form in English.  If we have questions about the nominees after reviewing the forms, we may approach you for clarification.

Please e-mail the nomination forms to me at and to each member of the IVL team, Julia Lazareva at , and Valeriy Yevseyev at .

The Russian-language candidate biodata form can either be faxed to my attention at (095) 728-5262, or delivered in hard copy to our office. The IVL Program is designed to help the mission meet our MPP goals and focus on long-term priorities.  We would be happy to discuss and explain the program in further detail, answer any questions, or discuss the process and selection criteria.  We will also be inviting proposals for new projects in the next fiscal year during the next few months.  If you would like more information about the program, please contact our office at extensions 4885 and 4667, or at the above e-mail addresses.