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Over the year, Talks @ Pulitzer give journalists the chance to discuss their reporting with audiences in Washington, DC. Add in "Google Hangouts," and even more people can hear what's being said. These Google Hangouts are one way to further the reach of Pulitzer Center work to a broader, diverse audience, without diminishing the power or quality of the reporting.
Talks @ Pulitzer
Since January 2013, the Pulitzer Center has organized events at our Washington, DC, offices to facilitate conversations between our journalist grantees and the community. During these Talks @ Pulitzer, the journalists share their stories, discuss their work in the field, and engage in conversations with their audiences. We've also brought in authors and other experts. These talks generally are broadcast live via Google Hangouts and subsequently posted on the related event listing on our website and on our YouTube Channel to broaden the reach and engage even more people in the Pulitzer Center's work.
In her Pulitzer Center-supported project "Facing Fears: Afghanistan on the Brink," award-winning journalist Mellissa Fung reports on the potential effects of the pullout on the future of the millions of Afghan women and girls who are now attending school.
For her June 2014, Talks @ Pulitzer Fung discussed her reporting on education in Afghanistan, the work of NGOs in the country, including Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, and her experience returning to Afghanistan after her kidnapping five years ago. After her presentation, audience members were encouraged to ask questions and share their thoughts about women’s empowerment, girls’ education, and what lies ahead for Afghanistan. Check out the Google Hangout of Fung's talk and learn more about the issues her reporting explores.
In May 2014, Pulitzer Center grantees Ameto Akpe and Allison Shelley presented their work on women’s health in Nigeria. Akpe's reporting centers on the impact of U.S. foreign aid in the region and its effects on the current health crisis, as well as her perspectives on the role of American “soft power” in Nigeria. Shelley, an independent documentary photographer and multimedia creator, reported on reproductive health laws in the region for her project, "Deadly Cycle: Nigeria's Silent Abortion Crisis.”
In the Q&A, both speakers discussed the role of the media, government organizations, and NGOs in solving the problems facing Nigeria, and Nigeria’s women in particular. Check out the Google Hangout of their talk too.
Google Hangout Events
In addition to recording and streaming these Talks @ Pulitzer, the Pulitzer Center also uses Google Hangouts to connect journalists and other experts with diverse audiences around the world.
On April 25, 2013, World Malaria Day, the Pulitzer Center organized a Google Hangout about the fake-drug crisis in Uganda and Tanzania.
Uganda and Tanzania are two of the countries most plagued by the disease and, as a result, huge markets for fake pills or ineffective treatments. Overcrowded government hospitals leave many individuals with no choice but to turn to their local pharmacies. Unfortunately, up to one third of the time the drugs are fake, leading to drug-resistant strains of the parasite. While there is limited concrete evidence, Pulitzer Center-supported journalist Kathleen E. McLaughlin found that most signs point to China as the source of these fake drugs.
McLaughlin led the Pulitzer Center-organized Google Hangout, which also included Cobus Van Staden of The China in Africa Podcast and Dr. Patrick Lukulay, program director for the Promoting the Quality of Medicines initiative at the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention. Individuals from around the globe were invited to participate and ask questions. Overall, this pioneering initiative was a great success.
The Pulitzer Center will continue to stream Talks @ Pulitzer Events and host other Google Hangouts to connect its journalists and supporters. Let us know whether you have any subjects you'd like to hear more about or other ideas for ways to expand the reach of Pulitzer Center reporting.
Here is a sampling of other Talks @ Pulitzer Google Hangouts:
Aqui Vivimos: Journalists Bracco, Relph and Schwartz on Violence in Honduras
Beyond 7 Billion: Journalist Ken Weiss on Rapid Population Growth and Hunger
Death Stalks Colombian Unions: Journalist Stephen Franklin on Unions in Columbia
Combat Journalism: Frank Greve of ICWA on the Rising Risks of Covering Conflict
Reporting Disasters: Author Suzanne Franks on Reporting on Famine and Other Crises
Statelessness: Photographer Greg Constantine on Communities without Citizenship Rights