Reporting War

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Reporting in conflict zones is a balancing act between information and narrative. While reporting facts journalists are at the core storytellers, and often find themselves explaining loss, destruction and death. This class examines the process of unraveling, explaining and analyzing the many facets of danger, disease, death and hatred but also reporting on the resilience of humanity. The class will focus on three extensive and complex conflicts: war in Afghanistan, the Rwandan Genocide and the conflict in Somalia as well as on connected humanitarian disasters. Students will be graded on class participation, one in-class group presentation, and two papers on pre-approved topics. The class will be taught by Donatella Lorch, a foreign correspondent for 25 years in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Europe, has reported on more than a dozen wars, conflicts and humanitarian disasters for the New York Times, Newsweek, NBC NEWS and National Geographic as well as worked for UNHCR, UNICEF and USAID. The course will also feature journalists and writers with experience in recent wars as guest lecturers.