Learn more about what students experience during their week at CSIS. From video and audio production to data visualization and the nuances of reporting on global issues, each session is designed to expand the students’ understanding of the media ecosystem, while giving them a chance to apply new skills that bring important stories to life.
Closed Doors, Open Windows? Refocusing U.S. Strategy
in the Sahel
In January 2024, students from Brown University traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the CSIS Journalism Bootcamp. They chose to report on fragility, coups, and U.S. foreign assistance in the Sahel.
In addition to receiving multimedia mentoring from the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with Noam Unger, director of the Sustainable Development and Resilience Initiative at CSIS. In reporting their story, the students heard from a variety of current and former practitioners in the field, including diplomats, humanitarian policy experts, and people involved in democracy promotion and civil society in the region.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/GettyImages-1625960301-400×300.jpgGaza Through Whose Lens? Breaking Apart U.S. Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War
In December 2023, students from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the CSIS Journalism Bootcamp. They chose to report on media representations of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
In addition to receiving multimedia mentoring from the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with Michelle Strucke, Director of the Humanitarian Agenda and the Human Rights Initiative at CSIS. In reporting their story, the students heard people with a variety of perspectives on the conflict and asked questions about both the conflict itself and the way it is covered in the media.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/greece-cover-2100×1563-1-400×300.jpgShaping Africa’s Climate Future
In June 2023, a group of African journalists from the Bloomberg Media Initiative’s Africa’s Media Fellowship program traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the CSIS Journalism Bootcamp. They chose to report on climate change, focusing on the lack of resources available to climate researchers based in Africa.
In addition to receiving multimedia mentoring from the center’s iDeas Lab, participants worked with Caitlin Welsh, Director of the Global Food and Water Security Program at CSIS. They heard from experts on the impacts of climate change on agriculture and food security in Africa, and made contact with researchers and activists in the region to report on their experiences studying the impacts of climate change.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/AdobeStock_600549104-400×300.jpegShadows and Bright Spots: Colombia’s Developing Democracy
In May 2023, students from the Missouri School of Journalism traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the CSIS Journalism Bootcamp. They chose to report on the global threat of democratic backsliding and the connections between democracy and human rights, and created a story focused on democracy and civic space in Colombia.
In addition to receiving multimedia mentoring from the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with Marti Flacks, Khosravi Chair in Principled Internationalism and Director of the Human Rights Initiative at CSIS. The students consulted with experts on democracy and human rights, including interviews with Colombians about their experiences with the country’s civic spaces.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Cover-photo-protest-400×300.jpegElectric Avenues:
Localizing Electric Vehicle Supply Chains
In March 2023, students from USC’s Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the CSIS Journalism Bootcamp. They chose to report on the intersections of trade, security, and green energy. They focused on the manufacturing of electric vehicle batteries, looking at the move to increase their manufacturing in the United States and the implications of that shift.
In addition to receiving multimedia mentoring from the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with Emily Benson, the director of the Project on Trade and Technology at CSIS, and Erin Murphy, Senior Fellow with the Economics Program at CSIS. The students consulted with experts on trade, security, and green energy, and created a multimedia piece to show the complex supply chains of EV batteries and the implications of near-shoring this important industry.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Electric-Avenues-thumb-400×300.jpgUkraine’s Potential Energy
In January 2023, students from Colby College traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the CSIS Journalism Bootcamp. They chose to report on the war in Ukraine, and focused their story on the consequences of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s power grid and how Ukraine can rebuild and move forward.
In addition to receiving multimedia mentoring from the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with Max Bergmann, the director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at CSIS. In addition to consulting with experts on geopolitics as well as energy, the students made contact with people on the ground in Ukraine to incorporate their experiences into their story.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ukraine-power-substation-400×300.jpgThe Future of the Euphrates River in Syria
In December 2022, students from National and Kapodistrian University of Athens traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the CSIS Journalism Bootcamp. They chose to report on climate change and conflict in Syria, with a focus on the Euphrates River.
In addition to receiving multimedia mentoring from the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with Erol Yayboke, director of the Project on Fragility and Mobility at CSIS.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/euphrates-nasa-400×300.jpegFrom Grocery Store to Landfill: Addressing Food Waste at the Household Level
In July 2022, students from DePaul University traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the CSIS Journalism Bootcamp. They chose to report on household food waste, its impacts on climate change, and how policies and educational initiatives in cities could reduce food waste.
In addition to receiving multimedia mentoring from the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with Caitlin Welsh, director of the Global Food Security Program at CSIS. The students created multimedia elements and did extensive research and original reporting, including filming at a DC farmers market.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/FoodWaste_JournalismBootcamp_HeaderPhoto-400×300.jpgRace Against Time: How Will Rival Powers Lead on Green Energy Innovation?
In December 2021, students from the University of Delaware traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the CSIS Journalism Bootcamp. They chose to report on cooperation and collaboration between the United States and China on dealing with climate change.
In addition to receiving multimedia mentoring from the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with Jude Blanchette, Freeman Chair in China Studies at CSIS. The students interviewed experts and created unique multimedia elements and data visualizations for the story.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/gettyimages-692831246-2048×2048-400×300.jpg“Stay Home But Not Silent”: How Latin American Communities are Organizing in the Face of Covid-19
In August 2021, students from Hampton University were joined by students from the University of New Mexico to participate in the CSIS Journalism Bootcamp. They chose to report on how Covid-19 has impacted rural and urban communities in Latin America.
In addition to receiving multimedia mentoring from the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with Katherine Bliss, senior fellow at the Global Health Policy Center at CSIS. The students also conducted their own interviews with researchers and practitioners working on public health in Latin America.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/header-image-400×300.jpgThinking Outside the Bubble: Addressing Polarization and Disinformation on Social Media
In July 2021, students from DePaul University participated in the the CSIS Journalism Bootcamp remotely. They chose to report on the relationship between social media and political polarization, and how both large and small platforms could restructure themselves to foster more positive communities.
In addition to receiving multimedia mentoring from the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with James A. Lewis, director of the Strategic Technologies Program at CSIS. The students also conducted their own interviews with members of various online communities about their experiences.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/People-on-phones-with-gradient-400×300.jpgCovid-19 Transformed Urban Spaces. As Mobility Returns, What Comes Next?
In June 2021, students from Monmouth University participated in the the CSIS Journalism Bootcamp remotely. They chose to report on how urban environments are changing after the Covid-19 pandemic, and how cities are balancing the needs of pedestrians, drivers, and businesses.
In addition to receiving multimedia mentoring from the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with Nikos Tsafos, interim director of the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at CSIS. The students also interviewed restaurant workers and researched the impact of outdoor dining in New York City.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/GettyImages-1308338705-400×300.jpgFrom Disaster Relief to Resilient Futures in the Northern Triangle
In May 2021, students from the University of New Mexico participated in the the CSIS Journalism Bootcamp remotely. They focused on the international response to Hurricanes Eta and Iota in Central America, and how humanitarian aid can make communities more resilient to natural disasters.
In addition to receiving multimedia mentoring from the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with Jacob Kurtzer, director of the Humanitarian Agenda at CSIS. The students also interviewed experts in humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GettyImages-1229700053-400×300.jpgDeforestation Hits Home: Indigenous Communities Fight for the Future of Their Amazon
In December 2020, students from the University of Massachusetts Amherst participated in the the CSIS Journalism Bootcamp remotely. They focused on deforestation in the Amazon and its impact on indigenous communities.
In addition to receiving multimedia mentoring from the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with Margarita Seminario, deputy director of the Americas Program at CSIS. The students interviewed experts in deforestation and environmental law, as well as activists working on the ground in the affected communities.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Arazaire-women-and-burned-tree-in-Peru-400×300.jpgWomen and Water in the Developing World: Linking Water Insecurity and Gender Disparities
In September 2020, students from the University of Iowa participated in the the CSIS Journalism Bootcamp remotely. They focused on the intersection between gender inequality and water insecurity.
In addition to receiving multimedia mentoring from the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with Caitlin Welsh, director of the Global Food Security Program at CSIS. The students approached the the topic from a variety of perspectives, interviewing experts on climate change, food security, and more.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Women-at-a-villiage-well-400×300.jpgNo Crystal Ball: The Uncertain Path Forward for U.S.-China Decoupling
In July 2020, students from the City University of New York participated in the the CSIS Journalism Bootcamp remotely. They focused on complex debate about decoupling the economies of the United States and China.
In addition to receiving multimedia mentoring from the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with Jude Blanchette, Freeman Chair in China Studies at CSIS. The students engaged with experts from a variety of backgrounds, including journalism, government, and business.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GettyImages-1058471374-400×300.jpgIs Ecocide Inevitable in the World’s Most Contested Sea?
In May 2020, students from the DePaul University in Chicago participated in the first bootcamp program to be run remotely. They focused on the environmental dimensions of the conflict over the South China Sea.
In addition to receiving multimedia mentoring from the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with Gregory Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, and Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project. The students interviewed top policy, environmental, and legal experts about the South China Sea conflict.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/GettyImages-594376382-400×300.jpgEnabling Entrepreneurship: Diplomatic Responses to Greece’s Brain Drain
In December 2019, students from the Panteion University in Athens came to CSIS to report on the potential for entrepreneurial diplomacy to address the Greek economic crisis.
In addition to working with the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with Seth Center of the Brzezinski Institute’s Project on History and Strategy. The students had the opportunity to speak with current and former diplomats. They also got a firsthand look at one of D.C.’s incubators for social entrepreneurs, the Halcyon Incubator.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/brain_drain_header_2-400×300.jpgPower of Personality Politics: Can Uganda’s Bobi Wine Sustain a Social Movement?
In November 2019, students from the University of Iowa joined CSIS to explore the intersection of politics and pop culture in Uganda.
In addition to working with the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with CSIS’s Africa Program, which provided the students with a range of experts on the political situation in Uganda and the history of politics, protest, and pop culture in the region. The students had the opportunity to interview Bobi Wine, Ugandan musician turned politician and the subject of their story, during a recording of the Into Africa podcast.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/GettyImages-1185904957-400×300.jpgRefugees in All but Name: Venezuelans Struggle for Status
In August 2019, students from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, joined CSIS to explore the migration crisis in Venezuela.
In addition to working with the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with CSIS’s Future of Venezuela Initiative, which aims to shed light on the unprecedented humanitarian, economic, and political crisis in Venezuela, and its impact in the Americas, and CSIS’s Project on Prosperity and Development, which studies the coming challenges in international development, focusing on the rapidly shifting financial and economic landscape in low and middle-income countries.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Venezuela-migration_crowd-on-bridge-400×300.jpgPower Struggle: Anticipating Cyberattacks on the Electric Grid
In June 2019, students from Ithaca College joined CSIS to explore cybersecurity and vulnerabilities within the power grid.
In addition to working with the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with CSIS’s Technology Policy Program, which conducts research on the social, economic, and security challenges created by disruptive technologies to inform effective policy.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/cyber-command-readiness-preparation_resized-300×300.jpgFood Insecurity in the Face of Climate Change
In May 2019, students from Howard University joined CSIS to explore climate change and its impact on food security.
In addition to working with the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with CSIS’s Global Food Security Project, which provides research, analysis, and policy recommendations on enhancing global food security.
https://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/ghana-woman-with-maize-300×300.jpgDisinformation’s Impact on Democracy and the Role of the Press
In December 2018, students from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki joined CSIS to explore disinformation’s impact on democracy and what the press can do amid the era of fake news.
In addition to working with the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with CSIS’s Transnational Threats Project, which assesses the threat and evolution of terrorist, insurgent, and criminal networks. It also examines the impact of government policy responses and produces analysis for policymakers, intelligence analysts, corporate executives, and leaders seeking to understand, prevent, and thwart transnational threats.
http://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/hungary_storyHed4-300×300.jpgRussian Influence in Foreign Elections
In August 2018, students from Texas Christian University joined CSIS to explore Russia’s influence on elections and democracy around the world.
In addition to working with the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with CSIS’s Europe Program, which produces forward-looking analyses on transatlantic relations, the process of European integration, and political developments in individual countries across Europe. It also examines critical issues on international security and the geopolitics of Europe, NATO, Russia, Eurasia, and the Arctic.
http://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/AP_18234351522702-150×150.jpgTrade and the Fallout from the Trans-Pacific Partnership
In June 2018, students from Tulane University reported on the effects the United States’ decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership has had on global trade.
In addition to working with the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with one of CSIS’s top trade experts Scott Miller, senior advisor with the Abishire-Inamori Leadership Academy and former Scholl Chair. The Scholl Chair in International Business examines critical issues in international trade, governance, competitiveness, and how to meet the challenges of a changing world economy.
http://journalism.csis.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/maersk-line-5-150×150.jpgHuman Rights and the Rohingya
In January 2018, students from Syracuse University joined CSIS to explore the human rights challenges journalists face when reporting in conflict-ridden environments.
In addition to working with the center’s iDeas Lab, students worked with the Human Rights Initiative at CSIS, which conducts research on global human rights issues, with a focus on generating concrete, evidence-based policy solutions. Its four areas of emphasis include: addressing closing space for civil society, building constituencies for justice and accountability, ensuring rights and protections for vulnerable populations, and developing human rights-based strategies for countering violent extremism.
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