🔹 Event Details:
The Armenia Project, in collaboration with AUA’s Center for Excellence in Journalism and Master of Arts in Multiplatform Journalism program, is pleased to welcome three Ohio University journalism professors who will deliver talks on responsible reporting about trauma, disaster and conflict reporting, and journalism ethics.
Professor Nerissa Young will focus on how to ensure personal safety and mental well-being for journalists, as well as techniques for writing stories about trauma and how to interview trauma survivors. Professor Mark Turner will discuss how to maintain neutral language when reporting to avoid biases, how to expand coverage beyond only military actions, and how journalists navigate issues of censorship and restrictions in coverage while remaining independent and transparent. Professor Kevin Smith will discuss journalism ethics and how news organizations can create ethics guidelines for journalism practices with the growing use of artificial intelligence.
The lectures include interactive exercises and discussions among participants and opportunities to meet student journalists from various programs in Yerevan.
The four sessions will be led collaboratively by Professors Nerissa Young, Mark Turner, and Kevin Smith. Each session will build on the previous one, creating a cohesive and evolving exploration of responsible journalism in times of crisis.
🔹 About the Speakers:
Nerissa Young
Professor, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University
Nerissa Young is a professor of instruction at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Marshall University. Young previously taught journalism at Oklahoma State University, Shepherd University, and Marshall University. She was also the adviser to the daily campus newspaper while at Marshall. Young received a Sigma Delta Chi medal in the Research in Journalism category for her collaboration with Nationwide Children’s Hospital regarding the news coverage of the suicide deaths of celebrities Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade. She also collaborated with WOSU Public Media to create and anchor livestreamed training sessions to teach reporters how to write about suicide and care for themselves as part of the national PBS airing of the documentary Facing Suicide. Young teaches a Journalism and Trauma class each spring and has taught local, regional, and national workshops on best practices for covering suicide.
Kevin Smith
Executive Director, Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University
Kevin Z. Smith is the executive director of the Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. As director, Smith leads a global training program for professional journalists, including Kiplinger’s hallmark fellowship in the U.S. Prior to coming to Kiplinger, Smith was a journalism professor for 14 years and a newspaper journalist for 14 years prior. He has taught a variety of courses on topics including reporting, editing, feature writing, investigative reporting, media law, ethics, photography, and media literacy. Since 2015, Smith has been a speaker specialist with the U.S. Department of State and has visited 10 countries to train journalists in everything from ethics to newsroom management, cybersecurity, media literacy, and social media use. In 2024, he received a Fulbright to teach investigative reporting and ethics at two universities in the Gambia. Smith is the former national president of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and a 23-year member of SPJ’s ethics committee. He is also a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors and serves on its International Committee. He is a contributing author to three media ethics textbooks. He has degrees from West Virginia University and Miami University, Ohio.
Mark Turner
Assistant Professor, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University
Mark Turner is an assistant professor in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Following a nearly three-decade professional career in journalism, Turner turned to full-time instruction and research. He focuses on media effects as they intersect with language and culture, as well as evolving journalism education and practice. Turner’s most recent article explored how celebrity endorsements were used during the 2024 presidential campaigns and their impact. He serves as the chairman of The Post Publishing Board, advising Ohio University’s largest student-run news organization. Turner is the president of the advisory board for the Athens County Independent, a nonprofit news outlet focused on local coverage and community accessibility. He is also the co-director of the High School Journalism Workshop, which is entering its 80th summer of helping to develop tomorrow’s media professionals.
Third-party Sponsors/Partners:
The Armenia Project
Language:
English
Also check out other Workshops in Yerevan, Arts events in Yerevan, Literary Art events in Yerevan.
