CELEBRATING - Nieman Foundation - Harvard University

Christopher J. Georges Conference on College Journalism
More than 80 students from a dozen schools participated in the
fifth annual Christopher J. Georges Conference on College
Journalism in April. Sponsored by the Christopher J. Georges
Fund and co-hosted by the Nieman Foundation and The Harvard
Crimson, the event offered talks by leading journalists, training
sessions and networking opportunities.
Paul Steiger, former managing editor of The Wall Street Journal
and current editor-in-chief of ProPublica, delivered the keynote
speech. Charles Sennott NF ’06, executive editor/vice president
of Global News Enterprises, also spoke about the importance of
international news coverage. 2008 Nieman Fellows Simon Wilson,
Alicia Anstead and Joshua Benton along with Nieman Narrative
Journalism Program Director Constance Hale presented several
workshops on topics ranging from “Reporting from the Field” to
“Google, Web Tools and Blogging.” A panel discussion on political
reporting and the 2008 elections rounded out the day with John
Harris from Politico, Mark Halperin of Time/ABC News and
Jackie Calmes, political reporter for The Wall Street Journal.
At the end of the conference, the Christopher J. Georges Award
for Excellence in Student Journalism was presented to Yale Herald
reporter Alex Hemmer and his editor, Laura Yao, for their story
“National immigration politics take a local toll.” The Georges
Award recognizes in-depth reporting on issues of enduring social
value and demonstrates the human impact of public policy. For
the first time, the competition was open not just to Harvard
Crimson reporters, but to all student newspapers participating
in the conference.
Christopher J. Georges, an honors graduate of Harvard, editor at The
Harvard Crimson and a Wall Street Journal reporter, died in 1998
at the age of 33. His family, friends and colleagues established the
Christopher J. Georges Fund in his name.
Reporting Global Conflict: Uncovering the Link
Between Religion and Human Rights
In May 2008, the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard
and the Harvard Divinity School co-hosted a conference
investigating the links and tension between religion and human
rights in global conflict and in global conflict reporting.
The participating
scholars, leaders,
advocates and
journalists welcomed
the opportunity
to engage in a
frank, constructive
discussion of the roles
religion, human
rights legislation and
Sheikh Reda Shata and Reverend Richard Cizik
the media each play
in securing, protecting or violating human rights. The conference
offered a rare chance to discuss the complexities of the issues
involved, an opportunity deeply appreciated by those attending:
“What was most useful to me was to understand the journalist’s struggle
to identify Muslim identity.”
- Imam Dr. Muhammad Nayuran Ashafa, Nigeria
“Truly very inspiring and intellectually captivating.”
- Noreen Ahmed-Ullah, Chicago Tribune reporter
“All these rich and stimulating exchanges at the conference! The
extraordinary composition of such a diverse group of professionals –
journalists, academics, as well as human rights folk, from liberals to
evangelical activists, made for an improbable formula for success. But the
Nieman Foundation did it, and I believe that we are all grateful for it.”
- Carolyn Fluehr-Lobban, Professor of Anthropology, Rhode Island College
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