For high school students, the big switch to university is often riddled with adjustment concerns on various fronts. That’s where ideas such as the weekend workshops recently hosted by Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) for three consecutive weeks, allowing students to improve their high school experience with some out-of-class activity, play a vital role in ensuring a smooth transition.
NU-Q’s sessions on investigative reporting were particularly helpful to students considering careers in communication. “We began holding these workshops several years ago to introduce high school students to the college experience,” said Emily Wilson, community relations manager. “Over the course of three weekends, the students learn different aspects of a career in the field of communications. We have focused on digital media in the past. This year, we will explore investigative journalism.”
The workshops were open for students enrolled in grades nine through 12 and required English proficiency demonstrated through the submission of a writing sample. Setting off with an assumption that the students have no prior knowledge of the media industry, the workshops covered introductory topics on journalism methodology, reporting, story-telling and social media. The presentations were paired with various hands-on activities.
Everette E Dennis, dean and CEO of NU-Q, said, “Many of our strongest applicants come through pre-college programmes, especially the weekend workshops. It offers high school students an opportunity to see first-hand what makes the NU-Q experience so exciting and unique, while also promoting media understanding in the region.”
This semester, the students are being taught by NU-Q graduates Maha al-Ansari, who currently works as an assistant journalist at beIN sports, and Haneen Hindi, community relations co-ordinator at NU-Q. Students apply through NU-Q’s online portal and spaces are limited. Admission is competitive and students are selected on a merits-only basis. The next round of workshops will take place in May/June. For more information, you can check out: www.qatar.northwestern.edu.
Community spoke to NU-Q student Fatma al-Mohannadi to know what the students attending this workshop have to say about the experience.
 
In what way did the workshop enhance your understanding of the subjects?
The first workshop I joined focused on podcasting. So it focused on getting an interesting topic for the podcasts. In the second workshop, I received a better understanding of the basics of reporting and how journalism works, which was very helpful.
 
Would you consume and process news and analysis differently after gaining a fresh perspective on how it all actually works?
Yes, the workshops did actually change my view on journalism. It gave me the actual meaning of being a journalist along with the hardships they go through in getting their stories published. I used to get my news from social media, but now I always check the source to see if it can be trusted.
 If you could sum up three key lessons that the workshop taught you, what would they be?
The three lessons which I won’t forget are: When writing a piece, I should bring a new point of view to the story that I am working on; I should always know and respect the laws of each country that is concerned with the topic on which the story is being published; and I should always be aware of the situation I am in when it comes to investigative journalism, which was what I learnt from investigative journalist Naveed Ahmed.
 
How is social media affecting journalism and its impact?
I feel social media journalism benefits from the connection of people around the world. Using social media as a way to spread news is just as useful as, or even more so, than traditional journalism. I believe that anyone with an interest can use social media to make people aware of the stories they encounter. For example, when you are going through the dashboard on Tumblr, you may suddenly see a heartbreaking photo by an amateur photojournalist writing about the story behind the photo – like how Humans of New York started.
 
Has the workshop made you feel positive towards university life? Will you be applying to NU-Q?
NU-Q has been a dream of mine for quite a while now because I love journalism. I enjoy the whole aspect of uncovering stories. It reminds me of storytelling, which is what I love most about journalism. I’d love to attend NU-Q to pursue my dream of being a journalist.