Durham College professor launches global journalism website for students

Anna Rodrigues, a Journalism professor at Durham College, recently launched Global Student Journalists, an international website that enables students studying journalism all over the world to connect with each other and share their work and ideas.

The result of over a year's worth of work, including time spent away from her teaching duties in pursuit of social media, Durham College Journalism Professor Anna Rodrigues recently launched Global Student Journalists, an international website that enables students studying journalism all over the world to connect with each other and share their work and ideas.

The concept of the network was originally developed by Rodrigues as part of a proposal to the Durham College Innovation Fund in the spring of 2008. The proposal was accepted and she was allocated $10,000 in funding with the caveat that more funding would be available if required. Rodrigues then began researching and reviewing quotes from external web development companies in November 2008 with site development beginning in January 2009. Global Student Journalists then launched this past August.

"When I started out I wanted to accomplish three things," said Rodrigues. "I wanted the website to serve as a social media tool in my classroom, I wanted my students to see what student journalists in other countries were doing and I wanted my students to connect with each other."

Students must apply to be a member of the website and are then approved by Rodrigues as part of her role as site administrator. Once approved, they can upload their articles, videos, photos and audio files to be read and viewed by their peers who can then offer comments and advice. The site currently averages between 10 and 20 new members a day from countries all over the world including the United States, Brazil, Europe, Portugal, Iran and Iraq.

"The website is basically designed to be a one-stop shop with items of interest to student journalists around the world," added Rodrigues. "As far as I know, it is the only student journalist website around."

Rodrigues credits the college, in particular her dean and associate dean from the School of Media, Art & Design, with her success including their support for the additional 14 hours of release time she has been given this semester to continue work on the site. In addition to its ongoing increase in membership, it has been featured on several journalism websites and blogs and received a mention on Twitter from Jen Preston, the Social-Media editor of the New York Times. For more information, please visit www.globalstudentjournalists.net.