Three Student Scholarships to be awarded at Annual Arab Journalism Confab

Distributed by the www.ArabAmericanNewsWire.com

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                 Ray Hanania

APRIL 13, 2011                                                                                 rayhanania@comcast.net

                                                                                                                                    Laila alhusinni

                                                                                                            lealhusinni@yahoo.com

Three Student Scholarships to be awarded at Annual Arab Journalism Confab

Chicago/Detroit – The National American Arab Journalists Association will present three scholarships to students in their junior or senior years in High school or who are in college at the 6^th Annual Journalism Conference in Dearborn, Michigan April 29-May 1, 2011.

Students have been asked to submit a 1,000-word essay expressing a viewpoint on one of three important topics.

A)  The “Amer Legislation” which was signed in to law in Michigan in December 2010. In response to the tragedy and by the gross injustice endured by the Amer family. Questions include “How could media have played a more vital role in covering the story from the onset?” And “What difference could this have made for the Amer family, the Arab-American community, and other families.”
B)    American Media coverage of Arab-American communities
C)   American media coverage of the Arab World, Arab foreign policy (or combined with B).

The first place award recipient will be presented with a $1,000 check. Checks of $500 each will be presented to two other student applicants based on their writing style.

The deadline to submit an application is April 21. Applications can be obtained online at www.NAAJA-US.com. Using the drop down menu at the top of the page, select Conferences and then 2011 Dearborn Conference. There is also a direct link to the NAAJA Scholarships, along with information about the annual ADC Jack Shaheen Communications Scholarship.

Titled “American Arab Journalism 10 Years since Sept. 11^th Strengthening our role in educating the American Public & the Arab World,” the 2011 NAAJA Journalism Conference will closely examine the challenges facing American Arabs in the decade since the terrorism attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. And it will bring together journalists, communicators and activists from across the country.

“One of the primary goals of NAAJA is to support not only American Arabs who engage in professional journalism in mainstream media or the ethnic media, but to also support and encourage young people of Arab heritage to pursue careers in journalism, communications and related fields,” said NAAJA National Coordinator Ray Hanania.

The conference is featuring a wide range of journalists and speakers including: Phil Frayne, the Director of the Office of Press and Public Diplomacy for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs . George Hishmeh, an award winning veteran journalist and former president of the Washington Arab Journalism Association, who will also offer special insights at a luncheon earlier in the day. Gala Dinner keynote speakers include Mohamed Abdel Dayem, Middle East & North Africa Program Coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Lawrence Pintak, the author of the new book “The New Arab Journalist.”

The conference emcee this year is Warren David, president of ArabDetroit.com. The dinner will also feature a presentation on the civil rights challenges since Sept. 11.

Other speakers include Christine Tatum, former president of the Society of Professional Journalists. A complete listing of panels and speakers are available online.

More than 20 organizations and businesses and journalism associations are co-sponsoring the conference.

NAAJA also hosts the new Arab American News Wire (www.ArabAmericanNewsWire.com) which will pay freelance writers to write news and feature stories about American Arab and Muslim communities that will be distributed free-of-charge to American Arab and Muslim publications and media.

Registration is only $75 per person ($55 for students) and includes lunch and dinner plus full access to all panels on Saturday and the Saturday night Gala Banquet. The Hyatt is offering a special room rate of only $89 per night for conference attendees.

To register online or to get more information, please visit the official web page of NAAJA at www.NAAJA-US.com.  A link to the Dearborn conference, and past conferences, will direct you to registration.

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