U.S. State Department Announces Edward R. Murrow Journalism Fellows Program

The Edward R. Murrow Journalism Fellows Program — a partnership among the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Aspen Institute, and six American universities — will invite 100 international media professionals to spend time at leading journalism schools in the United States, honing their skills, sharing ideas, and gaining first-hand understanding of American society and democratic institutions. The goal is to not only inform the fellows about the United States, but also to promote journalistic freedom and excellence around the world.

"The Department of State is determined to forge partnerships with our private sector so that Americans of all stripes, all traditions, all ethnic groups and also all walks of life might be able to help to carry the story of democratic progress and the progress of liberty," said Secretary Rice. "We especially look forward to working with our partners."

"Democracy cannot work without the free flow of information and ideas that is made possible through an independent and effective press," said Geoffrey Cowan. "The Murrow Program adds an exciting and important new component to those that the USIA and State Department have offered in the past. It harnesses the resources of American journalism schools. All of our schools expect the international journalists to learn from our courses ‹ and we all expect our students to learn from our visitors."

The six journalism schools involved in the new program are the University of Kentucky, University of Minnesota, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Southern California, University of Texas at Austin, and University of Oklahoma.

The Edward R. Murrow program will culminate in April 2006 with an international symposium for the fellows and other journalists to be organized by the Aspen Institute, through its Communications and Society Program.

Named after the renowned journalist and former director of the United States Information Agency Edward R. Murrow, this program will emphasize many of the democratic principles that guided Mr. Murrow¹s practice of his craft: integrity, ethics, courage, and social responsibility.

This new journalism program is an innovative public-private partnership, led by the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program. Leading the initiative for the State Department are Karen Hughes, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, and Dina Habib Powell, Assistant Secretary of
State for Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice receives a football autographed by USC Football Coach Pete Carroll from Annenberg School for Communication Dean Geoffrey Cowan

For a transcript and video of Secretary Rice's Statement, click here.

To read Dean Geoffrey Cowan's remarks, click here.

To read the official press release, click here.