Resources

Online journalists’ resources:

Everything you need to know to be a better journalist

South Asian Journalist Associations's (SAJA's) Tips on reporting, writing and editing

Global Voices Online: A non-profit global citizens’ media project out of Harvard’s Law School’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society.

PBS's MediaShift: A guide to the digital media revolution

Poynter's Youth & the Media Bibliography

Study Abroad Advisor Corinna Lewis's tips on "Political Rant" vs. "Political Commentary"

There is a very pronounced difference between political rants and political commentary; rants can be offensive. We encourage you to discuss the political scene of your host country, but take caution in your approach. Please take a look at the following examples as a guideline of what to do and what not to do.

An Example of a Political Rant

And I thought Bush made some stupid comments! It turns out that the French, too, have their fair share of village idiots vying for control of the country. France’s elections are on the horizon and each of the top candidates has made their fair share of blunders, which I’d like to share with you now, in hopes that you will realize that there is worse than George Bush out there (or at least politicians just as awful…):

The conservative candidate, Nicolas Sarkozy has announced that pedophilia is a genetic flaw. Yes, that’s right – he thinks there’s a gene that can make you like little boys.

Then there’s Ségolène Royal, the female Socialist candidate who thinks the Taliban is the reigning regime in Afghanistan. Perhaps she could use a conversation with Mr. George Bush to get that straightened out…

And, finally, we have Jean-Marie Le Pen on the far right advocating masturbation for French teens over condom use as the best way to meet their sexual needs. I don’t even know what this guy’s thinking.

So there you have it folks – it could be worse. You could be French.

An Example of a Political Commentary

With the first round of elections right around the corner, the French are in “voting mode.” On Monday, candidates were officially allowed to open their campaigns and now posters are being plastered everywhere. It’s truly a unique experience to be living here during an election year; the issues are so different in France than they are back home in the U.S.

More specifically, there doesn’t seem to be one major issue at the heart of this election. I keep thinking back to the last election in the States, and how the situation in Iraq was such a crucial factor in determining votes. Most people, at least those that I know, seemed to be very firmly aligned with one candidate or the other. For their own personal reasons, people were either very strongly supportive of George Bush or very strongly against him and, thus, supportive of John Kerry.

In France’s election this year, though, there don’t seem to be such firm alliances with the major candidates. Rather, many people seem to be shifting back and forth in their support, perhaps because the candidates keep making mishaps that alienate voters. For example, Jean-Marie Le Pen, a candidate on the far right, pronounced that the best way to promote safe sexual practices among French youth is to encourage masturbation, rather than condom use. Then there’s the opposite extreme: conservative candidate Nicolas Sarkozy’s comment that pedophilia is the result of a genetic flaw. With issues like these entered into the race, as of now, it certainly looks like anybody’s game!”