Hi Everyone! your Comments are totally Appreciated. I am applying to Masters programs in Journalism and I am in dire need of your cutthroat critiques! This is my second

Schools I am applying to: Medill, Berkley, UNC Chapel Hill, Northeastern and USC Annenberg.


Thanks!

 

A running theme throughout my coursework at North Eastern has revolved around the impact of Al Jazeera’s influence in the Arab World and the Western Media. Indeed, my fascination with Al Jazeera played a large influence in my decision to focus on broadcast journalism. In March 2007, I decided to attend the 3^rd Annual Al Jazeera Forum held in Doha. As you might imagine, the event was a momentous occasion for a complete “newbie” like myself! I had the opportunity to listen to the likes of Rageh Omar, Dave Marash and Seymour Hirsch debate the pros and cons of Parachute vs. In-Depth Journalism and speak on the credibility of embedded reporting in Iraq. As enlightening as the forum was, my biggest highlight was the small talk I made with a camera operator sent to cover the event.  “Getting a break in this industry is difficult and many people bow out to pressure and burnout,” He told me. “Being a successful journalist takes conviction and determination.”

As an institution, " " University has the means to give me the opportunity to honor the indispensable advice I received at the Al Jazeera forum. Beyond the rigorous and demanding curriculum, " " University understands the significance of empowerment as a form of learning. It impresses me that students at ABC are taught to be proactive and independent thinkers. Nowhere is this more evident than with the ABC News service, a formidable source of news in its own right and a testament to the power of mutual cooperation between student and faculty.  What endeared me the most about ABC however, is the effort and achievement poured into the " " Project." " gives voice and credence to an often underrepresented, but no less significant, portion of American society.  I have expressed interest in being a contributor to " " in my correspondences with professor " " who I look forward to working with should I gain acceptance into the Global Journalism program.  

My decision to become a journalist is predicated upon my long held interest in current events and how they immediately impact us. With the active encouragement of my parents, I took up watching and reading the news from a very early age. Eager to make sense of the chaos of conflict unfurling around me, my most vivid memories of my childhood in Lebanon, and later Qatar, revolved around after school interludes spent watching CNN, BBC and later, Al Jazeera. As an adolescent who was intimately aware of the capriciousness that came with being a Palestinian refugee, the news offered me a pragmatic and comprehensive view of the world, one beyond the predicament of living as a perpetual ‘non-citizen’ or ‘guest’ in what could be best described as the “Segregated South” of the Middle East.

Despite being an avid follower of the news and the journalists that provided it, my entry point as a contributor did not come till much later, as a student at UMASS Boston. In charge of the Community Affairs column at the MASS Media (UMASS Boston’s student run publication), I produced weekly reports on a variety of issues ranging from a conference examining the impacts of tightening security measures for international students, to a ‘feminists of color’ poetry reading. Any preconceptions I had about the glamour of journalism dissipated quickly. Tight deadlines, gallons of caffeine and sore feet pretty much defined the bulk of my experience. Yet despite the challenges, my time at the MASS Media gave me a microcosmic view into the everyday operations of a newsroom; the intense camaraderie between fellow reporters, the endearing (yet pushy) editors, and the rewards attributed to seeing another edition roll off the print press.   

Though the rewards at the Mass Media were plentiful, my rich undergraduate experience at UMASS Boston was hampered by my poor academic performance. I credit this mostly to the slow adjustment following our immigration to Massachusetts, working full time while matriculating as a full time student, and dealing with severe depression following my decision to come out to my parents. This was only compounded by my over extended participation in on-campus extra curriculars including serving as president of the Arab Student Association during my sophomore year and serving as an Americorps Jumpstart corps-member in my senior year. In retrospect, I realize that beyond the extenuating circumstances that stood in my way, my relative immaturity and lack of clarity around my future goals only served to exacerbate the situation.   

In order to better prepare myself for graduate school, I decided to enroll part time in North Eastern’s Technical Communication program. At North Eastern, I have greatly benefitted from the heavy emphasis the program places on integrating web and new media with traditional writing principles. My coursework has oscillated between web development, programming and statistics, to editing principles and techniques in persuasive writing. I hope that my commitment towards a second Bachelors degree and my strong academic performance this time round will lend insight into my commitment and preparedness for graduate study at " ".