Experiencing international communication: An internship program in Ghana, West Africa

Journalism and Mass Communication Educator

Volumn 60, Issue 4, 2005, Pages 360-375

  Steeves, H Leslie ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF OREGON   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 84993737568     PISSN: 10776958     EISSN: 21614326     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/107769580506000405     Document Type: Article

References (59)

1. See, e.g., the AEJMC conference paper Web site for recent presentations on the benefits of and demand for internships, particularly for the Internship and Careers Interest Group: (10 January 2005). One example: John E. Getz, “Journalism Students’ Perceptions of the Value of Internships” (paper presented at the annual meeting of AEJMC, Miami, August 2002), .
2. See Standard 2, Curriculum and Instruction, ACEJMC Accrediting Standards, September 2003, .
3. Mark Deuze, “Educating ‘New’ Journalists: Challenges to the Curriculum,” Journalism 8 Mass Communication Educator 56 (spring 2001): 11.
4. See Standard 3, Diversity and Inclusiveness, ACEJMC Accrediting Standards, September 2003, .
5. E.g., Gerald J. Baldasty, Sharon Bramlett-Solomon, Mark Deuze, Felix GutiBrrez, Carol Liebler, and John Santez, “Has the Dream Stalled?” Journalism 6 Mass Communication Educator 58 (spring 2003): 7-25.
6. Hans-Henrik Holm, “The Forgotten Globalization of Journalism Education,” Journalism b Mass Communication Educator 57 (winter 2002): 67-71. See also
7. Robyn Goodman and Kazumi Hasegawa, “The Proposed First Step Toward Internationalizing AEJMC: Creating a World Journalism Education Congress,” International Communication Bulletin 39 (fa11 2004): 2-11.
8. Open Doors, “Study Abroad Surging Among American Students,” 15 November 2004, (15 January 2005).
9. Hey-Kyung Koh Chin, ed., Open Doors: Report on International Educational Exchange (New York: Institute of International Education, 2003). a. In fact, journalismlcommunication is not listed as a separate field of study on the Open Doors 2004 Website, which tabulates “Fields of Study of US. Study Abroad Students, 1993194-2002I03, ” (12 January 2005). Likely reasons include those cited as impediments to internationalizing the journalism curriculum: parochial traditions emphasizing localism, and declining international opportunities for journalism graduates. See
10. Holm, “The Forgotten Globalization of Journalism Education,” 68. Journalism/communication schools offering internship programs abroad include Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism; Ohio University, E. W. Scripps School of Journalism; The University of Kansas, William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications; University of Missouri, School of Journalism; NYU, Department of Journalism; and USC Annenberg School for Communication. See their Web sites for details. Journalism internships are also available through national and international programs such as the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE).
11. Paolo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed (New York: Herder and Herder, 1970), 67-68.
12. John Dewey, Democracy and Education (New York, The Free Press, 1944), 38.
13. Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 68.
14. Paolo Freire, Education for Critical Consciousness (New York: The Seabury Press, 1973).
15. Freire, Education for Critical Consciousness, 19.
16. Freire, Education for Critical Consciousness, 18.
17. John Dewey, Experience and Education (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1938), 43.
18. Dewey, Experience and Education, 31.
19. Dewey, Experience and Education, 36.
20. Dewey, Experience and Education, 43.
21. Dewey, Experience and Education, 65.
22. For instance, see Ira Shor, Empowering Education: Critical Teaching for Social Change (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992).
23. Bel Hooks, Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom (New York: Routledge, 1994).
24. David A. Kolb, Experiential Learning (Englewood Cliffs, NY Prentice-Hall, 1984).
25. Henry A. Giroux, Teachers as Intellectuals: Toward a Critical Pedagogy of Learning (Granby, MA: Bergin & Garvey, 1988).
26. Lisa Marie Jakubowski, “Beyond Book Learning: Cultivating the Pedagogy of Experience Through Field Trips,” The Journal of Experiential Education 26 (1, 2003): 24-33.
27. Karen Warren, “Educating Students for Social Justice in Service Learning,” The Journal of Experiential Education 21 (3,1998): 135-39.
28. Daniel G. Solorzano, “Teaching and Social Change: Reflections on a Freirean Approach in a Co11ege C1ass room, ” Teaching Sociology 17 (1989): 218-25.
29. Rik Scarce, “Field Trips as Short-Term Experiential Education,” Teaching Sociology 25 (1997): 219-26.
30. Jeffrey P. Krans and Susan M. Roarke, “Learning Through Travel,” The Journal of Experiential Education 17 (3, 1994):
31. Denis Goulet, “Introduction,” in Education for Critical Consciousness, ed. P. Freire (New York: The Seabury Press, 1973, vii-xiv), ix. See our program Website:.
32. Jennifer Landau and David Chioni Moore, “Towards Reconciliation in the Motherland: Race, Class, Nationality, Gender, and the Complexities of American Student Presence at the University of Ghana, Legon,” feature article, 5 December 2004, (15 December 2004).
33. Lectures by University of Ghana School of Communication Studies faculty have included Dr. Kwesi Ansu-Kyeremeh, director SCS: “Can Traditional Forms of Communication Coexist with Modern, Hightech Modes?”.
34. Dr. Audrey Gadzekpo, SCS: “Women’s Role in Ghana’s Media;” Sidick Abubakari Ahmed, Station Manager, Radio Univers: “An Overview of Broadcasting in Ghana”.
35. Mr. Mensa-Bonsu, SCS, “Challenges of Advertising in Ghana”.
36. Dr. Margaret Amoakohene, SCS, “Public Relations in Ghana;”.
37. Bonah Koomson, SCS, “Communication and Development in Ghana”. And.
38. Prof. Kwame Karikari, SCS and director, Media Foundation for West Africa, “Human Rights and Media in Ghana.”
39. The assistance of Dr. Michael Williams, resident director of the Ghana’s Council for International Educational Exchange (CIEE) program, has been essential to the success of the UO program. University of Ghana School of Communication Studies (SCS) faculty also have assisted.
40. For a summary of media development in Ghana up to 1998, see
41. Kwasi Ansu-Kyeremeh and Kwame Karikari, Ghanaian Media Overview: Practitioners and Institutions (Legon, Ghana: School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, 1998).
42. John Tierney, “An American’s Perspective of a Slave Castle,” The Statesman, 30 July 2004, 5; John Tierney, “An American in Kumasi Central Market,” The Statesman, 23 July 2004, 5; Oliver Hagan, “Buying Kente Cloth in Kumasi,” Accra Daily Mail, 15 July 2004, 5, 8.
43. In 2004, all of the students were white, and, for most, this was their first experience being a minority. One student reflected on her discomfort in a column [Ursula Evans-Heritage, “A Stranger in a Foreign Land,” The Free Press, 30 July 2004, 2. However, even African American students are considered foreigners (“Oboruni”) and usually have their own unique challenges as a result. See Landau and Moore, “Towards Reconciliation in the Motherland,” for an illuminating analysis. I note that the 2005 group included three Asian American students. For the most part, they were considered Oboruni, along with the others.
44. The term “Obroni” is used to refer to foreigners, particularly Western foreigners. While “Obroni” or “Obruni” are the most common spellings, “Oboruni” is technically accurate. See Landau and Moore, “Towards Reconciliation in the Motherland. ”
45. Unless otherwise indicated, all student accounts are from required internship reports, with their permission.
46. Some sample stories: Maame Efua Moses and Oliver Hagan, “The 140-million-dollar fire,” Accra Daily Mail, 9 July 2004, 8.
47. Serwah Yeboah and John Tierney, “$lbn loan missing,” The Statesman, 9 July 2004, l.
48. Ursula Evans-Heritage, “New Law on Early Childhood Development,” Free Press, 16 July 2004, 3.
49. Peace Klutse and Emily Panter, “Medium Term Private Sector Development Launched,” The Chronicle, 16 July 2004, 5.
50. John Tierney, “$2bn needed for nationwide railway network,” The Statesman, 30 July 2004, 3.
51. Examples of Oliver Hagan’s 13 columns in the Accra Daily Mail: “What I love about Ghana,” 7 July 2004, 5; “Trotro adventures, Part 1: My First Journey,”8 July 2004, 5, 8; “Trotro Adventures, Part 11: The First Solo Mission,” 14 July 2004, 8; “Encountering Language Barriers,” 13 July 2004, 8; “Spotting an Obroni in Public,” 16 July 2004, 5; “Marriage Proposals,” 23 July 2004,4,8. All of the columns are available at .
52. John Tierney, “Dressmakers, hairdressers counseled on HIVIAIDS,” The Statesman, 23 July 2004,s; Emily Panter and Guy Bloembergen, “Apprentices Heighten Awareness,” The Chronicle, 22 July 2004, 6.
53. In 2004, this was the primary ethical dilemma experienced by the students. The 2005 group additionally encountered several instances of media organizations demanding large payments to cover news events.
54. GJA Code of Ethics, Article 3, .
55. Oliver Hagan, “The Phenomenon of Journalistic Bribes in Ghana,” (unpublished research paper, 31 August 2004).
56. Interview with Harruna Attah, 3 August 2004. Quoted in Hagan, “The Phenomenon of Journalistic Bribes in Ghana.” As Attah is respected for his journalistic integrity and for suffering imprisonment under the Rawlings administration, his views did have credibility for the students.
57. Holm, “The Forgotten Globalization of Journalism Education,” 70.
58. Some crises are inevitable. In 2004 one student spent two days in a Ghanaian hospital with food poisoning. Several others suffered bacterial infections. Three booked flights on Ghana Airways, which arrived two days late (requiring overnights in London), became bankrupt during the program, and departed several days late. Experiences of culture shock and homesickness are universal, though particularly severe for some.
59. Holm, “The Forgotten Globalization of Journalism Education,” 70.