Lost at Sea: Reporting on Italy's Migration Crisis

Students will spend four weeks on campus learning about European and Italian immigration policies and their impact on migrants flooding Italy’s southern coast. The on-campus learning will also focus on international reporting techniques. This on-campus period will involve instructor-led skills and information sessions, student-led information sessions, and Zoom information sessions with Italian journalists and political leaders. Following the on-campus component of the course, students will travel together to Rome, Italy.

While in Italy, students will be guided by the program director and Italian journalist mentors on pre-organized interviews with those interviewees the students have deemed important for their reporting.  Those interviews may include, but are not limited to, Italian politicians (both on the left and right), municipal leaders who run migrant ‘hot spots’, NGO (non-governmental organization) representatives working with migrants, crew members of search and rescue ships, migrants in self-organized camps, migrants saved from drowning at sea, officials with the Italian office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), migrants waiting to be processed by Italian authorities.

The program will begin in Rome. Students will then fly together to the small southern island of Lampedusa (NPR news story of Lampedusa), followed by travel to Catania, Sicily (InfoMigrants). The three weeks abroad will include two or three days for independent personal travel in the region. There will also be a number of group excursions to locations of interest in Rome and Sicily.

During the last week of the program, students will return to campus and work on publishing their reporting on course-specific social media sites as well as a course-specific media website.

Requirements: No minimum GPA is required. Preferred knowledge of journalistic reporting and research techniques. Interest in international reporting is also preferred.

Course: JMS 4900: Reporting in Italy on the EU migration crisis (4 credits)

This course can be taken to fulfill Journalism, Communication or Media Studies electives.  With approval from the Internship Coordinator, it may qualify for internship credits. This course may also fulfill elective credit for students in Political Science, International Studies or the Honors College. 

In Rome, Italy, the students will be housed, double occupancy, in a hotel in the central city near the parliament building and within walking and bus distance to main attractions. On Lampedusa island, students will also be housed, double occupancy, within walking or bus distance to immigration hot spots. In Catania, Sicily, students will also be housed, double occupancy, in a hotel near the central bus station that allows for travel to various sites of immigration reporting across the island.

Full breakfasts are included daily. Students will be responsible for other meals and can purchase lunches and dinners independently at any of the many restaurants, eateries, cafes and pubs in the area. Meals will be provided by the program when there is a required gathering for group meetings.

Tuition: 4 Credits
You will be charged for these credits on your eBill at your normal rate of tuition.

Program Fee: $3,300
To be paid to OU on our MarketPlace payment system and includes: housing and some meals, transportation and all excursions while in Italy, and health insurance.

Additional Costs: $1,875
You will need additional funds for these expenses not covered by program fee. Amounts are estimated.

International airfare: $1,100
Incidental personal expenses: $300
Meals: $300
Passport (if you don't have one): $175

Scholarships and Financial Aid: You are able to use financial aid to cover your full cost of attendance to this program (tuition, program fee and additional costs). Scholarships are also available through your study abroad application.