Curriculum

This is a tentative schedule as of July 2023.

Saturday, July 8th

Arrivals – Check in from 15:00 (Marriott Courtyard Prague Flora, Lucemburska 46, Prague 3, 13000)

Free time

Sunday, July 9th

09:50 – 10:00 Meeting point: hotel lobby and registration of participants

10:05 Departure from the hotel

10:00 – 13:00 Walking Tour: Prague sightseeing

13:15 – 14:45 Welcome lunch – (Kavarna Obecni dum – nám. Republiky 1090/5, Prague 1, 11000)

(Venue – NYU Prague Campus (Richtrův dům), Malé náměstí, Prague 1)

15:15 – 15:30 Welcome and Introductions (Jeremy Druker, Transitions)

15:30 – 17:30 Life as a Foreign Correspondent (Raphael Minder, The Financial Times)

Free time in Prague

Monday, July 10th

09:10 Meeting point: hotel lobby

09:15 Departure from the hotel and arrival at the venue

(Venue – Elpida, Na Bělidle 34, Prague 5)

10:00 – 12:30 Panel Discussion: “What Is Actually a Foreign Correspondent?” (moderated by Jeremy Druker, Transitions, with participants: Mike Eckel + Jana Ciglerova, Denik N).

12:30 – 14:00 Lunch break

(Venue – Elpida, Na Bělidle 34, Prague 5)

14:00 – 16:30 News-Writing Lab (Michael Kahn, Reuters)

16:30 – 18:00 Pitching session for story proposals (Jeremy Druker, Transitions, Michael Kahn, Reuters; and Mark Harmon, University of Tennessee)

All participants will pitch their ideas for their two stories to the panel for feedback. The assignment for the first week will be a print/web story or a photo essay for print or web (first draft due Friday); the assignment for the second week will be a video or audio story (due at the end of the second week).

Tuesday, July 11th

(Venue – Elpida, Na Bělidle 34, Prague 5)

09:30 – 12:30 Writing Lab: Getting Out Into the Field (Michael Kahn, Reuters and Mark Harmon, University of Tennessee)

Participants will be divided in two groups and work intensively with the faculty, focusing on the following subjects:

12:30 – 14:00 Lunch break

14:00 – 17:00 Practical-writing exercise (Michael Kahn, Reuters and Mark Harmon, University of Tennessee)

Participants will have two hours to write their stories with faculty then review the results.

Wednesday, July 12th

All-day reporting and interviewing in the field for feature stories.

Thursday, July 13th

All-day reporting and interviewing in the field for feature stories, preparing the first draft of print stories.

Students finalizing their stories.

16:45 Meeting point: hotel lobby – (please bring your passport)

16:50 Departure from the hotel

17:30 – 19:00 Visit to Economia publishing house (the most modern news complex in the country) and discussion: The Benefits and Challenges to Being a Woman in What Was Once a Man’s Game. (Silvie Lauder, Respekt)

Friday, July 14th

(Venue – Charles University, Smetanovo nabrezi 6, Prague 1 – room nr. 20)

9:30 – 12:30 Writing and Reporting for TV (Mark Harmon, University of Tennessee)

12:30 – 14:00 Lunch break

(Venue – Charles University, Smetanovo nabrezi 6, Prague 1 – room nr. 20)

14:00 – 15:00  – Working Under Conflict (Ondrej Kundra, Respekt)

15:00 – 15:10 break

15:10 – 16:10  – Covering Africa (Tomas Linder, Respekt)

16:30 – 19:00 Finish first draft of print stories, deadline 19:00

Students finalize their stories and posting it to WordPress site.

Saturday, July 15th

Free day

Sunday, July 16th

Free day

19:00 – 21:00 Individual feedback on first draft of stories (Michael Kahn, Reuters; Jeremy Druker, Transitions; Mark Harmon, University of Tennessee)

Each participant will have a 15-minute slot to discuss the drafts with Michael or Jeremy during a meeting in the hotel lobby.

Monday, July 17th

(Venue – Charles University, Smetanovo nabrezi 6, Prague 1 – room nr. 20)

9:30 – 12:30 Multimedia Reporting: What is a Video Story and How to Give Every Story a Classic Story Structure (Will Tizard)

12:30 – 14:00 Lunch break

14:00 – 17:00 Exercises in the field

Will will accompany participants in downtown Prague as they shoot video. The group will then congregate back at the venue and review the video that they have taken. Points to be covered:

Tuesday, July 18th

Free time / Participants will spend the 1/2 day working on video/audio stories, i.e. lining up and starting to shoot interviews and other footage.

12:30 Meeting point: hotel lobby

12:35 Departure from the hotel

13:00 – 14:45 Tour of Czech Radio with Nikola Bartová and session on innovation with Anna Vosalikova.

15:00 – 16:30 The Power of Solutions Journalism (Jeremy Druker, Transitions) – venue Czech Radio

Free time

Wednesday, July 19th

Participants will spend the day working on video/audio stories, i.e. lining up and starting to shoot interviews and other footage.

Thursday, July 20th

Trip to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (please bring your passport)

09:40 Meeting point: hotel lobby

09:45 Departure from the hotel

10:00 – 10:30 Arrival and security check (Vinohradská 159A, Prague 10)

10:30 – 10:45 Tour of the building

10:45 – 11:30 Meeting with Rick Pinard, Senior Evaluation Manager, Corporate Strategy

11:30 – 12:30 Lunch break in RFE/RL cantina

12:30 – 13:15 Meeting with Amos Chapple, Senior Photo Correspondent, Central News

Free time

17:00 Deadline for final version of print story and share with faculty

Friday, July 21st

All-day shooting and editing final video stories

17:00 Deadline for video story (minimum length 2 min) and posting it to Google drive

17:00 – 19:00 – Individual feedback on final version of stories (Michael Kahn, Reuters; Jeremy Druker, Transitions; Mark Harmon, University of Tennessee)

Individual story feedback on the final version of print story – each participant will have a 15-minute slot to discuss the final version with Michael and Jeremy during a meeting in the hotel lobby.

Saturday, July 22nd

(Venue – Elpida, Na Bělidle 34, Prague 5)

10:30 – 12:30 Reporting-project critique session for video/audio stories (Will Tizard and Mark Harmon, University of Tennessee)

Led by Will Tizard and Mark Harmon, the panel will provide detailed feedback on the video and audio stories.

13:45 Meeting point: Dvořákovo nábřeží, Na Františku, Prague 1 (pont nr 11)

14:00 – 16:00 Farewell boat cruise with lunch.

Free time

Sunday, July 23rd

Departures