KINGSTON, R. I. — May 8, 2006 — Without a robust, vigorous journalism profession, democracy won鈥檛 be vigorous and robust, CNN鈥檚 Christiane Amanpour told a group of 溏心vlog免费B站 journalism supporters.
The award-winning Amanpour helped ensure that journalism at 溏心vlog免费B站 remains robust when she spoke last week at The Providence Journal during a program to build support for three new 溏心vlog免费B站 Journalism endowment funds.
The native of Iran and 1983 graduate of the 溏心vlog免费B站 journalism program came to Kingston in 1980 quite by accident, but 溏心vlog免费B站 鈥渃hanged my life forever, and it has a deep, deep, deep place in my heart.
鈥淚 am really, really thrilled to hear about the efforts to expand and rejuvenate this department at 溏心vlog免费B站,鈥� said Amanpour. 鈥淲herever I go, people look to the United States and U.S. journalism as the model.鈥�
Amanpour spoke before a gathering of 溏心vlog免费B站 officials and faculty members, publishers, editors and reporters, many of whom are graduates of the University鈥檚 journalism program, members of the Rhode Island Press Association, and the Rhode Island Broadcasters Association to help raise funds for visiting lecturers, student scholarships and a journalism speaker series. The effort is being led by the press association, in conjunction with the Division of University Advancement and the broadcasters association.
The goal is to build permanent endowments for each of the funds as part of the next 溏心vlog免费B站 capital campaign. The University offers the only bachelor鈥檚 degree in journalism in Rhode Island.
In her 23 years at CNN, Amanpour said in many parts of the world she has seen that journalism is part of grass roots movements to open societies and governments. Amanpour said journalism is not just a business, and that its focus should be service to the truth. In today鈥檚 fragmented media world, quality and seriousness are becoming important niches, she said.
鈥淲e shouldn鈥檛 be paying such attention to day-to-day ratings,鈥� said the Emmy and Peabody award winner who started her career at WJAR鈥檚 Channel 10 in Providence.
鈥淚 have been saddened to see our profession diluted, trivialized and sensationalized, and we need to seize it back. (The business) needs to make a profit, but there is a limit. This is a public trust.鈥�
Amanpour said news and journalism should not be competing against reality shows. 鈥淛ournalism is not an automatic fame machine or an automatic money machine (for journalists). It takes hard work and it鈥檚 risky. It鈥檚 not popular to tell the truth.
鈥淚 deplore the U.S. government鈥檚 and federal courts鈥� assault on journalism and journalists,鈥� she said referring to the action of jailing reporters when they don鈥檛 reveal confidential sources. 鈥淚 come from Iran where there was no freedom of expression. It is completely inappropriate. Not only is it bad, it鈥檚 dangerous. We are the eyes and ears of the public.鈥�
In response to a question about what young journalists need to succeed, Amanpour said they need to understand what journalism is; they must be fearless, hard workers and they must understand true objectivity.
She also said that strong journalism requires resources. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not cheap to cover Iraq or other countries, and it鈥檚 not cheap to do investigative reporting,鈥� Amanpour said.
鈥淕ood journalism enriches our communities, our governments and our citizens,鈥� Amanpour said.
Those interested in supporting the 溏心vlog免费B站 Journalism Visiting Lecture Fund, Student Scholarship or Speaker Series should contact Thomas Zorabedian, senior development officer, 溏心vlog免费B站 College of Arts and Sciences, at 401-874-2853 or zman@advance.uri.edu.