News

The Changers versus The Warmers

Move over Hatfields and McCoys. It's the Changers and Warmers – as in Climate Change and Global Warming – who are having the big feud.

Is Global Warming the right name for the phenomenon now taking place or is Climate Change the more appropriate one? Is Change just a politically motivated, watered down term meant to lull people? Or is Warming an inadequate, too narrowly focused appellation?

It's a hotly debated subject and it is relevant for me in an unusually cold New Delhi while I prepare for a meeting of editors on – well, whatever is happening to the climate, the globe ...

Signs of hope in young Russian journalism students

Intensive journalism classes begin in Moscow newsroom.

Eric Schwartz (left) and Alexei Terehov of Moi Rayon talk with young journalism students.

Western commentators understandably worry about growing restrictions on press freedom in Russia, but in the eyes of new journalism students in Moscow I see bright signs of hope. At the Moscow newspaper office of Moy Rayon, we are holding journalism classes for about a dozen young students, who exhibit much of the same fire found in journalism students in the United States. They want to find and tell the stories in their neighborhoods.

Russian bureaucrats choke flow of information for local journalists

On top of the normal challenges faced by journalists everywhere, Russian journalists find that government sources at all levels are restricting even basic information to the press.   The Yeltsin years in Russia were chaotic and sometimes dangerous, but they afforded journalists great opportunities. The relaxation of press restrictions that began with Perestroika continued, and even stolid bureaucrats became more communicative as the power became decentralized.

But Russia seems to have become more difficult for journalists recently.

Report from Bali: Getting developing country journalists to cover climate conference

Barely 10 percent of the journalists covering the United Nations climate change conference were from the developing countries (if those from the host country were not counted). Yet these countries will bear the brunt of climate changes, and initiatives at the conference will affect them profoundly.

Training Workshop Environmental Journalism on Climate Change Program Plan

Last month, The Jakarta Post requested Jody McPhillips and I to help them develop program plan on environmental journalism training workshop on climate change issues for the Post's journalists who will cover climate change conference in Bali.

2007 Burns Award Winners Report on Immigration, War and Elections

Three Burns alumni won the 2007 Burns and Kennan Commentary Awards on May 15. The award-winning stories tackle: life on the Texas-Mexico border; twins’ quest to become marines in Iraq; and analysis of the U.S. Presidential elections.

"Building" an Interconnected World is Common Theme at 2007 Alumni Dinners

Not only Burnsies, politicians or business leaders are interested in the transatlantic dialogue, but creative people as well. The young architectural firm “Graft” is the hottest thing in Berlin currently.

Fischer, Saban Discuss Foreign Policy and Media Management at 2006 Alumni Dinners

The Burns social season has been in full swing with the annual awards dinner in Berlin on May 5 and the alumni dinner in New York on June 13. With impressive speakers and strong alumni attendance, both events were a great success.

2006 Burns Award Winner Analyzes War Strategies

Washington Correspondent Dr. Markus Günther won the 2006 Arthur F. Burns Award for “Kriege ohne Sieger (Wars without Winners),” published in Badische Zeitung on August 18, 2006.

2005 Burns Awards--Outstanding Reporting on Diverse Topics

Two Germans and one American won the 2005 Arthur F. Burns Awards for stories resulting from their fellowship program last year. Susanne Gieffers and Fabian Mohr each received their 2,000 euro prize from Germany’s Foreign Minister at the annual Burns alumni dinner and lecture in Berlin on May 5. Klaus Scharioth, Germany’s new ambassador to the United States, will present the award to American Helen Fessenden on July 26 at the reception in Washington, D.C., for the 2006 Burns Fellows.