2008 Woodie Awards
Journalists describe reporting in Haiti
Shajia Ahmad - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 7/23/07 Section: Metro
As nine Haitian journalists explored the foundations of American journalism during a visit to Iowa City over the weekend, they brought with them their own perspectives on the trade.
Small headphones filtered an interpreter's voice as the visiting professionals, who spoke Creole, French, and Spanish - but limited English - listened to UI journalism Associate Professors Frank Durham and Lyombe Eko discuss the "culture" of the UI School of Journalism, its students, and the system of law and ethics for American journalists in the Adler Journalism and Mass Communication Building on July 20.
The Council for International Visitors to Iowa Cities - a part of the UI International Programs and the U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program - sponsored the visit, which lasted five days. A number of translators helped the group discuss the state of journalism in both Haiti and the United States during the visitors' stay.
Unlike in the United States, journalism education is limited in Haiti, said Valéry Numa, a journalist for Vision 2000, a radio station in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. The first professional school was built in 1974, Numa said, though most journalists get their training in the field.
Haiti, a country with close to 9 million residents, is located on the western side of Hispaniola, a Caribbean island that is also home to the Dominican Republic. Ninety-five percent of the population is black, while a minority is either multi-ethnic or white, according to the CIA World Factbook.
Most of the visitors agreed they face several constraints when practicing journalism in their home country, including limited training, restricted access to information, and inadequate salaries. In Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, the reporters and broadcasters said accepting favors from government officials and sources is often a temptation.
"It is a permanent struggle to not end up being influenced and corrupted," said Yves Patrice Merisier, a journalist for Radio Galaxie.
Small headphones filtered an interpreter's voice as the visiting professionals, who spoke Creole, French, and Spanish - but limited English - listened to UI journalism Associate Professors Frank Durham and Lyombe Eko discuss the "culture" of the UI School of Journalism, its students, and the system of law and ethics for American journalists in the Adler Journalism and Mass Communication Building on July 20.
The Council for International Visitors to Iowa Cities - a part of the UI International Programs and the U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program - sponsored the visit, which lasted five days. A number of translators helped the group discuss the state of journalism in both Haiti and the United States during the visitors' stay.
Unlike in the United States, journalism education is limited in Haiti, said Valéry Numa, a journalist for Vision 2000, a radio station in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. The first professional school was built in 1974, Numa said, though most journalists get their training in the field.
Haiti, a country with close to 9 million residents, is located on the western side of Hispaniola, a Caribbean island that is also home to the Dominican Republic. Ninety-five percent of the population is black, while a minority is either multi-ethnic or white, according to the CIA World Factbook.
Most of the visitors agreed they face several constraints when practicing journalism in their home country, including limited training, restricted access to information, and inadequate salaries. In Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, the reporters and broadcasters said accepting favors from government officials and sources is often a temptation.
"It is a permanent struggle to not end up being influenced and corrupted," said Yves Patrice Merisier, a journalist for Radio Galaxie.
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