Japanese Society Through Journalism

Course Executive Summary

This course, taken while I studied at the Nagoya University of Foreign

Studies, aimed to teach us about journalistic practices in Japan. Over the course
of the semester we developed skills that would help us write articles that would
appear in state newspapers.
Course Learning Objectives
-Understand differences in journalism between Japan and our home
countries through discussion
-Use networking to plan interviews that would enhance our final article
-Work with students of different backgrounds to cover topics that impacted
our daily lives
Summary of What I Learned
Working with students from international backgrounds helped us
strengthen our Japanese skills, as English was not always an effective option.
Using local contacts, our team scheduled an interview with a local dance group
to learn about their daily life, as well as what challenges they faced when
balancing studies and performances. After completing this course, I feel more
comfortable in my ability to conduct interviews.
This course also taught me about cultural factors that create differences
between Japanese and American journalism. For example, In Japan, individual
privacy is extremely important. As a result, I had to use extreme care when
ensuring that only those individuals being interviewed had their faces visible in
photos.