KU News Release

KU journalism student spends summer as intern at Al Jazeera English

Andrew Greenhaw, left, and Shehab Rattansi, an anchor at Al Jazeera English

LAWRENCE — A University of Kansas student completed an internship this summer that few other American journalism students have experienced.

Andrew Greenhaw, a senior from Independence, worked in the Washington, D.C., bureau of Al Jazeera English, the Middle Eastern television network. He was an intern in the political unit, where he conducted research on the U.S. presidential candidates, prepared information for the programming directors and served as a personal assistant to anchor Ghida Fakhry.

The bureau’s chief, Will Stebbins, was a guest speaker last semester in the International Journalism class taught by Malcolm Gibson, general manager and news adviser to the University Daily Kansan student newspaper.

“The emergence of Al Jazeera is one of the most significant media events in my lifetime,” said Gibson. “It offers an important, non-Western perspective and it’s a legitimate voice in the world.”

Greenhaw wrote about Stebbins’ visit for the Kansan. As someone who had closely followed world events and international politics, Greenhaw realized that a summer spent at Al Jazeera English would be incredibly beneficial to his journalism training. He promptly e-mailed Stebbins and asked for an internship.

Greenhaw’s duties in the political unit of the network involved a lot of in-depth research. Daily, he listened in on conference calls with campaign advisers for presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. During the calls, reporters from around the country took notes on the candidates’ schedules and asked questions. Greenhaw sent his notes to planning department personnel so that they could decide what stories the network should pursue.

Greenhaw also assisted the bureau’s anchorwoman, Fakhry. He helped her to prepare for interviews by conducting background research and suggesting questions. Greenhaw said he particularly advised her on issues regarding the U.S. economy, which Greenhaw had covered at the Kansan.

Greenhaw said he has encountered some skepticism regarding his internship but it did not deter him from pursuing it.

“After being here and seeing the work the Al Jazeera staff does, I have nothing but respect for the entire organization,” said Greenhaw. “They do 24-hour, in-depth coverage on a wide variety of international stories and issues rarely focused on in the American media.”

Al Jazeera English is aired in only two U.S. cities. After he returns to KU, Greenhaw says, he might start a campaign to get the network added to Sunflower Broadband’s lineup. He has contacted several student groups at KU, including Amnesty International and Students for Global Awareness, to help with the campaign.

“The most important thing I’ve learned is that it’s essential for people from every cultural background to actively seek out information from sources outside their cultural boundaries,” said Greenhaw. “People inside the United States must actively seek out information from foreign sources to truly get every angle of any event or situation and also to understand why other cultures view the U.S. the way they do.”

Greenhaw also had the opportunity to use some of the network’s video equipment to document what goes on at the bureau. It was the first time Al Jazeera English had allowed someone to film the inner workings of the bureau since it was established two years ago. Greenhaw plans to use the footage to make a documentary. He hopes to complete it by the end of the fall semester.

Greenhaw is the son of Dennis and Patricia Greenhaw of Independence and a graduate of Independence Senior High School. He plans to graduate next spring with a journalism degree with two areas of focus: news and information and strategic communication. His ultimate goal is to work for Newsweek.

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