CELEBRATING - Nieman Foundation - Harvard University

T H E Y E A R I N R E V I E W
When the Class of 2008 arrived in Cambridge, journalism in
general and newspapers in particular continued to suffer from
the pressures of the marketplace and the challenges presented
by new media. Some fellows had lost jobs before they set foot
in Cambridge. Others weighed buyout offers or transitioned to
new positions before the year had ended. Regardless of personal
circumstance, all were hungry to learn new ways to do their
jobs well and to gain skills to help them excel in the digital age.
Several workshops were offered to help them do just that:
■ In September, washingtonpost.com editors Jim Brady,
Tom Kennedy and Chet Rhodes presented a daylong
seminar on multimedia reporting.
■ At the end of January, Brant Houston and David Donald
from IRE (Investigative Reporters and Editors) taught a
comprehensive three-day course on computer-assisted reporting.
■ Flash guru Mindy McAdams offered a one-day introduction to
the popular multimedia software in February.
The year was enhanced by seminars, shop talks and dinners that
informed, provoked and entertained. From Marcus Mabry, Margaret
Geller and David Gergen to filmmaker Sam Pollard and Wall Street
Journal managing editor Marcus Brauchli, NF ’92, speakers gave the
fellows a heady dose of ideas and analysis. Fellows also organized
casual gatherings to share their work and strategies with each other,
ranging from movie screenings to blog talks and productivity sessions.
Socially, the class enjoyed traditional Nieman outings including the
opening-night Charles River cruise and apple picking in October
as well as treks to popular local restaurants by the Foodies Group
and excursions around New England. The class soccer team, the
Steamin’ Niemans, played hard while the politically curious
From left: 2008 Fellows on the bayou during the class trip to Louisiana; Global Health Fellow
Christine Gorman (in pink) interviews a group about a new hospital in Neno, Malawi
traveled to New Hampshire during primary season to hear
candidates Hillary Clinton and Bill Richardson speak and
to witness American democracy in action.
Fellows and affiliates braved a New England snowstorm for a
memorable holiday party in December that warmed hearts while
the rest of the region was paralyzed on the roads. Some members
of the class traveled to visit the newly opened Newseum in
Washington in May and met with Seymour Hersh for an
intimate dinner at the National Press Club. Late that month,
the international fellows visited Rockport, Maine, for the annual
Mid-Coast Forum on Foreign Relations. The year-end adventures
continued with a weekend on Martha’s Vineyard and a working
trip to New Orleans, to learn about progress toward recovery from
Katrina and to sample the food and music of Bayou Country.
In the end, the group declared themselves the best Nieman class
ever, a claim sure to be challenged by every preceding class.
Global Health, Global
Research, Global Support
While their classmates returned home in the
spring, the 2008 Global Health Fellows
continued their Nieman research projects
with four months of field work. Christine
Gorman, An Ran and Andrew Quinn spent
time, respectively, tracking the brain drain of
nurses in Malawi, occupational health issues
in China and clinical trials for HIV and
malaria vaccines in Africa. Along the way,
they benefited from the support, guidance and
resources provided by their newfound network
of Harvard and Nieman connections.
Read more about Global Health Fellowships
on page 24.
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