All Around the World: Internationalizing

Your Staff and Coverage of

International Events and Students

Jessica KoppBob Bergland

Missouri Western State University

Why cover international stuff?

TO SERVE YOUR READERS More and more past, current and future

students are likely to be international You likely have international faculty and staff The world is more global, and your “regular”

students need to be aware of international events and issues

These are often good pieces for your portfolio

Internationalize all sections of your paper/yearbook

News—Foreign news and international perspectives on US news

Sports—features and sporting events Features—students, faculty and staff Opinions—columns and spotlights

Localizing International Events

READ international wire and newspapers and magazines, looking for

Natural disasters Man-made tragedies (terrorism, etc.) Political events/news (elections, changes in leaders) Economic newsFocus on news that has an impact on your students, as

you would any other coverage

International Perspectives on US

events Terrorism Elections Economic Cultural trends/shifts Technology Education

Covering international-oriented

events on campus International Fairs International holiday celebrations Presentations by international students Performances by international students Other events put on by International affairs

office

Covering issues important to internationals

International student services office Housing Busing/transportation Visa/immigration issues Acclimating to US/university

Sports pages

Look for international students on athletic rosters

Look for coaches/staff with international backgrounds

International recruiting? Intramural sports or club sports that are more

international (cricket, rugby, etc.) Coverage of big international sporting events

Features on international students

Students coming to campus for visiting trips One-semester or one-year exchange students Regular full-time international students International athletes Graduate students

Other international features

Visiting faculty/Fulbrighters—both those coming from other countries and those going abroad

International staff International faculty International affairs office personnel International student organization Seasonal—how our holidays are celebrated in other

countries (Christmas, Halloween, etc.)

Opinion pages Invite faculty and staff to write columns about

events going on in their country (ex: an Iranian professor, talking about the nuclear deal with Iran)

Invite students to write similar columns about news events or about other issues important to them and their transition

Invite International Services staff to write columns about issues affecting students

Have a weekly spotlight on an international student

Finding sources International Services/Affairs office—try to get a

directory of students and their countries to have on hand when international stories break and for features

International student organizations Admissions office Faculty/Staff Directories Social Media!

Tips for Interviewing Internationals

Interview them in-person, not over the phone or email, whenever possible

Put yourself in their shoes—imagine yourself as an international student, being in another country and in another language, being interviewed

Open up with more small talk to set them at ease and to get to know them better to help you with asking questions

Recognize the cultural differences that may impact your interview—body language, personal space, etc.

Tips for Interviewing Internationals

If they have language difficulties: be patient—they may take longer to respond Keep questions more simple—long, rambling questions and

multiple part questions and using a complex vocabulary may cause misunderstanding

At the same time, recognize that any language difficulties are not a sign of a lower intelligence (and don’t speak more loudly, although do consider speaking a bit more slowly and articulating a bit more if you mumble)

Rephrase the question if it seems they aren’t understanding you

Consider publication policies on correcting grammar/fixing quotes

Recruit international students for your staff Networking Social media Recruit for non-writing positions—web, graphic

design, advertising Advertising staff positions

Recruit international students for your staff Look for students in your

journalism/communication courses Ask International Services staff for

recommendations of students who might be interested

Attend international fairs Go to International orientation week—ask to

speak