media fellows

Reliable Sources:
What Previous Media Fellows Say About the Experience

• "All reporters should have an opportunity like this -- a time to recharge their batteries and explore new concepts. It has planted seeds that will bear fruit when I return to work. This is not just 'ivory tower' stuff. I came away from Duke with a notebook full of story ideas and contacts."
  -- New York Times Co. Fellow, U.S.

• "It has been a transformative experience."
  -- Washington Post Fellow, U.S.

• "One of the best experiences of my life. It has informed, enlightened and stimulated me and changed many of my ideas. It's made me more curious. I couldn't have predicted how much I would learn and enjoy myself."
  -- Knight-Ridder Fellow, U.S.

• "There hasn't been one day here when I didn't learn a lot."
  -- RIAS Berlin Kommission Fellow, Germany

• "I'm sure my time at Duke has improved my knowledge and understanding of U.S. politics. I am convinced that the hours with my colleagues from so many countries broadened my mind. I think nothing can have more positive impact on my work than that."
  --Milton Wolf Fellow, Austria

• "[It was] like being carried out of the dark to the light, the sunshine. My newspaper will change for the better. My paper will be on the World Wide Web. We will start polling. We have made an alliance with Africa News. I have made good friends at Duke and with Visiting Media Fellows. I am already affected."
  -- African Media Fellow, Ethiopia

• "The program is great and one of the best things I've ever done in my professional life."
  -- German Marshall Fund Media Fellow, Germany

• "The program gave me an outstanding opportunity to improve my skills as a journalist. I also know much more about American politics and the role of the media."
  -- Freedom Support Act Fellow, Russia
  

• "The best part of the program is that it provides an opportunity for journalists from different backgrounds to come together and share their experiences and learn something new."
  -- Freedom Forum Fellow, China

• "It broadened my horizons -- unbelievably so. It showed me that education is never over and that there are so many things I don't know and I have to learn. It's going to be a great challenge to get back to work and try to use some of the things I learned about journalism and most of all about myself. Duke's program is a transforming experience!"
  -- Ron Brown Media Fellow, Slovenia

• "I can't begin to tell you how wonderful this was. Your program, what you are doing for journalists, is just perfect. When I got back to work, one of my first stories, a news analysis, was a direct result of one of our discussions at Duke."
  -- New York Times Fellow, U.S.

• "This program was richer than I ever imagined. I did loads of research on the Internet that will find its way into future stories... This is a great program and any journalist should be eager to be a part of it."
  -- Knight-Ridder Fellow, U.S.

• "[It was] an experience of a lifetime. Perhaps the greatest benefit was time away from the office and yet still part of it -- a chance to reflect on journalism -- its past, present and future. And the wonderful experience of meeting, talking with and learning from the students. Thank you again for the golden opportunity of reflection -- and renewal. "
  -- New York Times Fellow, U.S.

• 
  "The presentations by media representatives from various countries were simply outstanding. Another benefit was a chance to study the media experience in a wide range of settings -- from develping countries to highly developed industrialized nations. It was interesting to share experience in solving many of our common problems."
  -- USIA Media Fellow, Russia

• "This whole experience has been absolutely fantastic for me. I loved it all."
  -- Washington Post Fellow

• "I will apply many of the new methods studied here concerning public opinion polls. New nuances in covering the election campaign will also provide me with an opportnity to use this information in preparing for the presidential elections in Russia in the months ahead."
  -- USIA Fellow, Ukraine

• "Now I have so many contacts to colleagues all over the world. It will help me to think more internationally."
  -- German Marshall Fund Fellow, Germany

• "A truly memorable time."
  -- New York Times Fellow, U.S.

• "My time there was one of the most valuable experiences in my career, one that's changed the way I think in several ways. "
  -- Knight-Ridder Fellow, U.S.

• "The program provided a very welcome opportunity to have a closer look at U.S. politics, media in other countries, ethnic questions for journalists, and many other topics."
  -- Milton Wolf Media Fellow, Austria

• "I'm blessed to have had an opportunity to stop what I do on a daily basis, get off the fast track and take time to explore other subjects. That opportunity will be most useful in the way I approach stories. I had an exhilarating, eye-opening month here and am grateful that I've had the experience."
  -- TIME Magazine Fellow, U.S.

• 
  "I'm returning to work with a briefcase full of story ideas."
  -- Knight Ridder Fellow, U.S.

• "It was a unique opportunity. The program enlarged my horizon and convinced me of the necessity of 'global thinking' in the media."
  -- ORF Media Fellow, Austria

• "I think that the knowledge and practical skills that I learned during this visit to the United States may be useful in the process of creating public televsion in my country. And I think I will participate in the creation of this form of television in our state."
  -- USIA Fellow, Ukrain

• "The program has enriched me with new ideas and new experience. It has given me an excellent opportunity to study the problems of journalism from a fresh perspective in a more global way.
  -- Baltic Media Fellow, Lithuania

• "The knowledge and experience I gained at Duke University will definitely be used in my future work in journalism."
  -- Eurasia Fellow, Uzbekistan

• "The discussions with the other journalists gave me a deeper understanding of the problems and developments in the U.S., Europe and Russia."
  -- German Marshall Fund Fellow, Germany

• "I loved every minute of it. It was great meeting everyone, especially those journalists from other parts of the world."
  -- TIME Magazine Fellow, U.S.

• "It was the best month of my life."
  --New York Times Fellow, U.S

• "It was the best scholarship I could imagine. I had a possibility to learn about American media and reality, compare it with the Polish situation, and travel. I saw and understood how media works in the USA. Now I can use all of this information in my work."
  -- German Marshall Fund Fellow, Poland

• "The most amazing thing was to meet all the other journalists from different countries. We had so many interesting discussions."
  -- RIAS Berlin Kommission Fellow, Germany

• "The experience I gained at Duke will undoubtedly play a positive role in my work and activity."
  -- Eurasia Fellow, Azerbaijan

• "The contacts I've made here at Duke, the books I read, and the experience will provide for me a better informed background to my reporting."
  -- Washington Post Media Fellow, U.S.

• "This has been a life-transforming experience."
  --New York Times Fellow, U.S.

• "I still can't believe the incredible gift of this month.... It gave me a great deal of time to reflect on my job and my newspaper.... I think I will go back as a tougher editor, less timid about holding my staff to higher writing standards."
  -- Knight-Ridder Fellow, U.S.

• "I was able to get so much material for stories for my newspaper at home. It was important for me to enlarge my background knowledge. Now I have so many contacts all over the world, that I have never had before. It will help me to think internationally."
  -- German Marshall Fund Fellow, Germany

• "My participation in the program will most certainly effect positively my future work. I was exposed to very important information about the media techniques and tactics tested in practice by journalists from all over the world."
  -- Freedom Support Act Fellow, Republic of Georgia

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