April 2, 2009
The 2001 terrorist attacks changed the way Americans view Middle Easterners. They started a lot of controversy over religious stereotypes. Syracuse University's The Maxwell School has recognized these views by adding a Religions, Media and International Relations major. Graduate Assistant Karen Cadondon said the new major is aimed towards studying the way the media portrays these stereotypes.
Political Scientist and Maxwell's head of Middle East studies, Mehrzad Boroujerdi said any time the media report on the war in Gaza, they only show one side of it. Even his students have started watching BBC instead of CNN to get a different perspective on Middle Eastern news.
Maxwell's conference includes world class journalists, such as Lawrence Pintak who has worked in the Middle East. Pintak said he has found many connections between common stereotypes and negative public diplomacy in the Muslim and Islamic worlds. Program Coordinator Julia Ganson said the conference is important because it will spark intense conversation so people can understand different sides of the story. "The media is often a cheerleader for America and shows only that side without thoroughly understanding the middle east and its issues," Ganson said.
The conference starts today at 5 P.M. and ends tomorrow at 4:30 P.M. The conference motto is "a time for change."
No comments:
Post a Comment