DECEMBER 5, 2019
By: Marissa Moran Gantman  Justin Chapman, Pacific Council

This fall, the Pacific Council continued its collaboration with the USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism. For a second year, we teamed up with Philip Seib, a long-time Pacific Council member and renowned faculty member at Annenberg, for a graduate-level class on foreign reporting.

The class engaged 10 graduate students—most of them in the M.S. Journalism program—to think critically about covering international issues in a city like Los Angeles. The students dove into stories about growing anti-Semitism in CaliforniaSaudi Arabia's modernization, the Venezuelan diaspora in Los Angeles, and more.

They also had access to Pacific Council events, including our annual PolicyWest conference, and covered the issues discussed and debated by experts. Throughout the semester, we connected the students with Pacific Council members and speakers, who served as sources in their work. At the end of the semester, members Jessica Yellin and Karen Richardson met with the students in our offices to discuss their careers in journalism and government public affairs respectively.

“The Pacific Council tackles challenging issues, and for USC’s aspiring journalists these are the issues they need to understand. The Pacific Council provides invaluable access to experienced foreign policy experts,  and the students benefit greatly from this.”

Philip Seib, USC Annenberg Professor

Throughout the semester, the Pacific Council published the students’ work in our Newsroom, our online platform featuring daily commentary, analysis, and news about international affairs and policy. Below you can find a complete list of articles written by the students this semester.

“The Pacific Council is proud to partner with USC Annenberg Professor Phil Seib and his foreign reporting students as part of our mission to support the next generation of global leaders. Their commitment to covering the most important issues affecting our world will influence the future direction of our international policy.”

Jerrold Green, Pacific Council President and CEO

Read all stories by the USC students here:

Venezuelan Immigrant Goes from Actor to Activist – Abhinanda Bhattacharyya

Myanmar’s Rohingya Face Diplomatic Obstacles – Jackson Stephens

A Brexit by Any Other Name – Paige Smith

Saudi Arabia’s Modernization – Paige Smith and Homoud al Homoud

Millions Protested Climate Change in September. What’s Next? – Abhinanda Bhattacharyya

EU Expansion Unlikely in the Near Future After Summit – Jackson Stephens

The Risky Business of Telling Stories – Abhinanda Bhattacharyya

Growing Anti-Semitism in California and Globally – Sarah Brown

Exploring U.S.-Chinese Economic Diplomacy – Yixin Zhou

Dispatch from Ukraine: On the Frontline of the Info War – Philip Seib

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Marissa Moran is the Chief Communications Officer at the Pacific Council on International Policy.

Justin Chapman is the Communications Officer at the Pacific Council on International Policy.

Read about last year's collaboration with Professor Seib's foreign reporting class.

The views and opinions expressed in the pieces above are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Pacific Council.