Excellence in International Journalism and Human Rights Awards & Graduate Student Research Symposium

Friday, March 28, 2025 

Hall of Nations | Texas Tech University International Cultural Center

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Event Summary:

10 a.m.  Welcome and Awards

12:15 p.m. Lunch

2 p.m. Graduate Student Research Presentations

6 p.m. Dinner Program

[ View Digital Program ]

Theme: “Profiles in Journalistic Courage”

Journalists from Cuba and Africa to be honored with College of Media and Communication’s Excellence in International Journalism and Human Rights Award. [ Read guest bios ]

Yoani Sanchez, a courageous, award-winning, Cuban journalist, and Mimi Mefo Newuh, a fearless, award-winning journalist from Cameroon, Africa, will be honored with the College of Media and Communication’s “Excellence in International Journalism and Human Rights” award on March 28, 2025.

Photo above: Yoani Sánchez, Editorial Director, 14ymedio.com, Havana, Cuba.

For more than a decade, Yoani Sanchez of Havana, Cuba, who is the editorial director of the independent Cuban online news and information outlet, 14ymedio.com, has used new technologies as a tool to expand the scope of journalism and freedom of expression in Cuba, where the Communist Party erected a constitutional monopoly over the news media and tightly restricts access to the Internet. Using basic technologies like USB flash drives and rudimentary mobile phones, she reports daily Cuban reality–stories, testimonies, and exposés that the authoritarian communist regime of Fidel Castro and his successors have attempted to hide, censor, or silence.  Her journalistic efforts have led to the emergence of a vibrant Cuban blogosphere that is not controlled by the government. 

Yoani’s fight to protect freedom of expression in Cuba has earned her international recognition. She has contributed columns and editorial pieces to some of the most well-known media outlets in the world– the German broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, The New York Times, El País (Spain), The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, La Stampa (Italy), El Mundo (Spain), La Nación (Argentina), and many others. 

Photo above: Mimi Mefo Newuh, Editor, Cameroon, Africa & Deutsche Welle, Germany

Mimi Mefo Newuh is a prominent, award-winning radio and TV journalist from Cameroon, West Africa, who lives in exile in Europe. She is the former editor-in-chief and news anchor of the English language service of Equinoxe Radio and Television in Cameroon. 

In November 2018, she was arrested after sharing reports on social media alleging that according to reliable sources, the military was behind the shooting death of an American missionary in the troubled Northwest region of Cameroon. Though she is a civilian, she was court-marshalled before a military tribunal for alleged, “breach of State security and dissemination of fake news likely to harm public authorities or national cohesion.” When she refused to sign a confession of guilt, she was jailed at a notoriously over-crowed, and inhumane prison. 

After intense pressure from the United States and other foreign governments, the military announced that Mimi’s case was being “shelved” on the orders of the authoritarian President Paul Biya. 

She was released from prison and went into exile in Europe. She spent five months as English PEN’s writer-in-residence. She was granted political asylum in Germany and now works as an editor for Deutsche Welle Africa, the German international broadcaster. Mimi is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Mimi Mefo Info, an independent online news portal that publishes news that the government of Cameroon and Anglophone separatists would like to suppress.  

Both reporters will speak about their experiences and take questions from students and faculty after the award ceremony.

Human Rights and Freedom of Expression Spotlight

Additionally, this year, the Symposium will shine a spotlight on five journalists from the country of Burundi, Central Africa, who have been harshly prosecuted, silenced and jailed by their government for practicing journalism. Two of the journalists were granted political asylum in Belgium. They will join us for the symposium.  Two of these journalists were recently released from prison. They will join us via teleconferencing. The third journalist, Sandra Muhoza will not be joining us because she is still in prison in Bujumbura, Burundi. 

Two other international journalists will join us for the symposium. They are Pochi Tamba, a bilingual (English-French) reporter from Cameroon, who is a contributor to our book project, “Daring to Report While Female: Profiles in International Journalistic Courage.” She will serve as liaison and interpreter. Jorge Luis Sierra Guzman is a Mexican journalist who directs the border journalism center in McAllen, Texas. He is a contributor to our book project and resource person in our Maymester in Marfa borderlands journalism workshop. He will speak about the dangerous realities of journalists in the borderlands

After the keynote speeches, the first group of international journalists will talk about their lived experience with journalism, human rights and freedom of expression.

2 p.m. Student Presentations

Graduate students will present papers on international communication, human rights and freedom of expression.  COMC faculty Melissa Santillana and Sarah Schiffecker will be the respondents for this research sessions.

CONCURRENT Presentations:

Session 01: Hall of Nations

Jeffery Acheampong Adu

Diffusion And Reinvention of ICT: An Exploratory Study of Artificial Intelligence in Ghana and Kenya.

Ashraf Goni, Doctoral Candidate, ABD

“Ethical Considera7ons of Genera7ve AI in Journalism: A Case Study of New York-Based Bangla Ethnic Media"

Mahedi Hasan, Md Sajedul Islam, Naeem Ahmed, MD. Zahid Hasan, Jahidul Islam, Tanjila Islam

Media, Movement, and Meaning: A Framing Analysis of the 2024 Bangladesh Quota Reform Movement

Session 02: Room 105

Alasana Camara

Diffusion and Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Africa: A Comparative Exploratory Study of Nigeria, Rwanda and Ethiopia

Mir Hasib

AI Policy and Ethics: A Comparative Study of the U.S., EU, and UN Approaches

Lyombe Eko and Lauren Tortella

Caught in the Ethnic Crossfire: A Policy Analysis of Disinformation and Counter-Disinformation About Children in the Russo-Ukrainian War of 2022.

Discussants Melissa Santillana & Sarah Schiffecker

[ READ ALL ABSTRACTS ]

6 p.m. Academic and Cultural Evening 

The symposium will continue with an academic and cultural evening that will feature presentations by journalists from Burundi and Mexico, a book launch, book-signing, and a musical performance by Ugandan students from the Ethnomusicology program of the Texas Tech School of Music. The book that will be launched is a newly published book by a COMC faculty member and a TT Library colleague. Yoani Sanchez of Cuba will also sign her book for interested faculty and students. The COMC 2024 book launch reports is located at the Morris Professorship website. 

The Graduate Student Research Symposium and the Excellence in International Journalism emerged in 2021 from the graduate course, “Globalization, Human Rights & Freedom of Expression.” It is organized within the framework of the teaching, research and international engagement mission of the William S. Morris Endowed Professorship at the College of Media and Communication.

Sponsors

The Graduate Research Symposium and Excellence in International Journalism awards are co-sponsored by the College of Media and Communication, the Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs, the Thomas J. Harris Institute for Hispanic and International Communication, the Department of Journalism and Creative Media Industries, the Communication Research Center, the Graduate Program of the College of Media and Communication, and the William S. Morris Endowed Professorship.

Read about past events: 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021