UT School of Journalism and Electronic Media welcomes foreign journalists

The University of Tennessee's School of Journalism and Electronic Media hosted twelve journalists from former Soviet republics under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State's Edward R. Murrow Program.

The Russian-speaking television and print journalists from Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Estonia, Georgia and Armenia spent nearly a week at the university attending lectures by UT professors on American journalism and economics and visiting WBIR-TV, WATE-TV, the Knoxville News Sentinel, and Scripps Networks.  Local attorney Richard L. Hollow, a First Amendment specialist, and William Fox, Director for the UT Center for Economic and Business Research, made presentations to the group, touching on issues revolving around freedom of the press, and U.S. and Tennessee economic issues, respectively.

The group also visited the East Tennessee History Museum and Dollywood, attended receptions at the homes of CCI Dean Michael Wirth and Ron Ledbetter, and attended the UT-Auburn football game.

This is the second year that JEM hosted Murrow Program journalists.