Embedded Spring: Writing the Mediterranean: Turkey
The Program
Reporting the Global City
Draw inspiration from great Mediterranean journeys, and learn to write compelling journey stories of your own. We’ll travel with George Orwell, Ernest Hemingway, Martha Gellhorn and Orhan Pamuk through one of the world’s grandest regions, as we explore its legacy of war and exodus, cooking and eating, and romance and revenge.
At spring break, we’ll travel to Istanbul, Turkey, to launch a “Reporting the Global City” project. We’ll report on rapid urban expansion and gentrification, youth culture and the exploding migrant and refugee population, while exploring the culinary and artistic heritage of one of the world’s most powerful cities. Our visit will fall during the holy month of Ramadan, so we’ll have an opportunity to participate in iftars, or festive community dinners, and to mingle with local residents. We’ll also sail up the famous Bosphorus strait -- the strategic Europe-Asia divide -- and visit Buyukada, a beautiful island once home to Istanbul’s minority Greek, Jewish and Armenian populations
Program Locations
Turkey
Istanbul
The program will take place in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey. We'll also sail up the famous Bosphorus strait and visit Buyukada.
Academics
Journalism and Media Studies majors enrolled in the department’s Global Media Specialization https://comminfo.rutgers.edu/undergraduate-programs/journalism-and-media-studies-major/jms-specializations will receive priority consideration -- but both the course and the trip are open to all students, on a space-available basis. To enroll in the Global Media Specialization, please visit the School of Communication and Information Advising Office, at 4 Huntington Street, 2nd floor, or contact an adviser via this email: undergrad@comminfo.rutgers.edu
We’ll devote part of each class to a discussion of Mediterranean issues, such as war, corruption, family, food, the arts and the influence of the sea. In another part of the class, students will practice writing, reporting and visual journalism techniques, such as interviewing, capturing dialogue, writing a narrative and shooting captivating photos and video.
Class will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2-3:20 p.m., during the first part of the spring semester. Students will then travel together to Istanbul, Turkey during spring break, to practice what they’ve learned. There will be no more classes after spring break. But we’ll gather for one final celebratory session, where students will have an opportunity to present their work to the group. Students will submit their stories, and have one-on-one editing sessions with the professor, to hone their work into optimal shape. We’ll also celebrate our achievement with a party.
For information about study abroad credit transfer, registration, and transcripts please visit the Academics https://global.rutgers.edu/study-abroad/students/academic-planning section of our website.
Housing and Meals
Students will stay in comfortable, centrally-located and wifi-equipped hotels and hostels. Welcome and goodbye dinners are included in the course fee, as are a number of cultural activities.
Financial Information
Program Costs
| All Students | |
|---|---|
| Non JMS | $1,790 |
| JMS students | $1,290 |
Program Cost includes:
- Tuition (1 credit)
- Housing
- Some meals
- Excursions
- Administrative Fees
- Emergency Medical Access Abroad
- *JMS students receive $500 scholarship toward their program from the JMS department
Out-of-Pocket Costs
| Airfare | $1,100 |
| Meals | $250 |
| Personal Expenses | $100 |
| Total | $1,450.00 |
Out-of-Pocket Cost includes:
The above costs are estimations and represent the known out-of-pocket costs students encounter during their time abroad.
Some of these expenses will be paid for prior to going abroad, such as an airline ticket, while some of these expenses, such as meals and personal expenses, will be paid in-country as part of your daily expenses. As you plan, you will need to budget these costs and spend wisely throughout your time abroad.
Scholarships
Faculty Leaders
Prof. D’Ambrosio is a journalist who specializes in writing about international affairs. She has reported extensively from Europe and Latin America, and her work has appeared in the Huffington Post, Anthropology Now, Institutional Investor, Islands, and Working Woman magazines, as well as in the San Francisco Chronicle, Newsday, and the Miami Herald. She earned her bachelor’s degree in magazine journalism from Syracuse University, and her master’s degree in economic history from the London School of Economics. Email Prof. D’Ambrosio at mary.dambrosio@rutgers.edu