By Eric Yates

On Monday, Aug. 28, Point Loma Nazarene University was privileged to host a discussion panel featuring three international journalists. Abderrahim Foukara of Al-Jazeera (the Middle East), Shogo Kawakita of Kyodo News (Japan) and Montserat Vendrell of EFE wire service (based out of Spain) spoke for a little more than an hour to political science and journalism students, and the local media.

“This is an opportunity to experience American public appearance outside a city like New York or Washington, D.C,” said Foukara.

Their visit was facilitated by PLNU alumna Jana Chapman, who graduated in 1999 as a political science major and now works for the United Nations as a deputy press secretary. She worked with Dr. Ron Kirkemo in the Department of History and Political Science to coordinate the event. Foukara, Kawakit and Vendrell cover the UN for their respective agencies.

Some of the topics that were briefly discussed by the journalists included the United States’ foreign policy, the educational systems around the world and in the U.S., and the objectivity of the news media.

Regarding the U.S. involvement in Iraq, Foukara said, “Freedom and democracy are two principles that should be lauded and praised in their own right. But having said that, we ought to be a little cautious in the way we use them.”

He added that we should be attentive to how the message of freedom and democracy will be received by the people you are sending it to. He also said that many people all over the world, throughout hundreds of years have made sacrifices for the cause of freedom, and [the U.S.] needs to do a better job of taking that sacrifice into consideration, while making it clear that freedom and democracy in the Arab world should exist for their own right, not just to serve America’s interest of safety for its citizens.

Vendrell took a more firm stance on the war.

“We as a people should spend more time in diplomacy in order to solve conflicts,” she said. “I don’t think the military can solve anything around the world. Not in the Middle East, not in Darfur (Sudan), not in the Ivory Coast.”

The journalists then turned the spotlight on the students, asking them what they thought some differences were between educational systems around the world. One student responded that learning a second language isn’t emphasized as it should be in America.

Foukara agreed, and said that Americans are at both an advantage and a disadvantage regarding knowing only one language. “Speaking English allows you to go anywhere in the world and possibly be able to communicate,” he said. “On the other hand, language is the mother of necessity for the social mobilization of people. It brings people together.”

Students then asked about the perceived bias in the media and apparent lack of objectivity. Foukara countered that it is the nature of humans to think a certain way. The key is in informing yourself with several sources of information, and not searching for a universal “truth.”

“The high-brow criterion of objectivity is utterly ridiculous. Every media outlet has its own view, its own agenda,” he said.

The journalists concluded by reflecting on their many years in the industry, which have taken them to nearly every part of the globe.

“If you can report dispassionately, [international journalism] is a great place to be. If you cannot, it’s a miserable place to be,” said Foukara. “You have a unique vantage point of the world and how it operates. It’s a fascinating experience.”