Study Abroad Opportunity in Hungary and Slovakia for Winter 2015

Journalism after the Soviets

THE PROGRAM This January, discover and document how freedom of the press is faring two decades after the end of Communist rule as you travel to Slovakia and Hungary. You will be based in the capital cities as you interview investigative journalists for a research project and meet journalists and journalism students to learn how they do their jobs. Working with journalists in both cities, you will learn qualitative research methods to conduct and analyze video interviews with investigative reporters. You will explore the political, cultural, economic and ethical conditions under which they work in those two countries. THE LOCATION You will be based in Bratislava, Slovakia and Budapest, Hungary, two cities on the Danube with rich histories including their importance in the Austro-Hungarian Empire followed by decades of Soviet control. Bratislava is a city with a large population of university students who gather in the Old City, filled with restaurants and cafes. Budapest is renowned for its culture, architecture and coffee houses. THE ACCOMMODATIONS You will share rooms in hotels or dormitories. Accommodations may include Internet, laundry and other services. ELIGIBILITY You must be in good academic and judicial standing. Please refer to the Fact Sheet at the top of this page for specific eligibility requirements. THE COSTS Please refer to the program cost sheet for a specific breakdown of expenses. Applications are due October 1st  For more information visit: https://myea.umd.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgram &Program_ID=11101

THE HIGHLIGHTS Visits with investigative journalists in both countries Lectures by journalism and/or international relations professors in both cities Private tours and excursions, prepared for the class Cultural visits in both cities THE COURSE After you commit to the program, Education Abroad will enroll you in one of the following three (3) credit UMD courses: JOUR479R Special Topics in Data Gathering and Analysis: Investigative Journalism in Post-Soviet Europe JOUR698R Special Problems in Communication: Investigative Journalism in Post-Soviet Europe THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR Sandra Banisky is the Abell Professor in Baltimore Journalism at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park. There, she teaches classes including urban-affairs reporting in Baltimore, news writing and media law. Before joining the college, she was deputy managing editor for news at The Baltimore Sun, where she managed front-page stories from every department of the newspaper, including its foreign bureaus. At The Sun, she was also national editor and national correspondent, and she covered City Hall and the State House. She is a graduate of Boston University and holds a J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law. She was admitted to the Maryland Bar. She is looking forward to spending a winter term with students motivated to learn all they can about issues confronting journalists overseas. For course, itinerary or in-country information, please contact the Program Director. For general questions or assistance with applying, contact the appropriate EA Advisor.