After a workshop on teaching border reporting held April 29-May 1 at the University of Arizona, journalism educators from nine U.S. colleges have joined forces to establish the Border Journalism Network/La Red de Periodismo de la Frontera, according to a University of Arizona statement.
"This network will greatly help to unite journalism educators and their journalism students on both sides of the border," Amy Schmitz Weiss, assistant professor at San Diego State University and network participant, told the Knight Center.
The new network's first initiative is to create an interactive website with resources and educational materials, such as about ethics, safety protocols, and the dealing with the emotional impacts of crisis reporting. The network also will offer a cross-border reporting project for students in the fall, and their reports will be posted on the network's website.
"The border, unfortunately, has become a conflict zone," Maggy Zanger, network co-organizer and professor of practice in the UA School of Journalism, said in the statement. "We want our students to be able to cover the many vital stories not related to the drug war, but we want them to be able to do it safely and with respect for the impact of the conflict on the people who live here."
Besides San Diego State University and the University of Arizona, other members of the Border Journalism Network include New Mexico State University, University of New Mexico, The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at El Paso, and the University of Washington.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
