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  • Foreign press gets taste of Knoxville

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    Georgiana Vines: Foreign press gets taste of Knoxville
    News Sentinel
    Georgiana Vines


    11-01-2010

    Eleven journalists from the former Soviet bloc are observing the
    off-year elections this week in Knoxville as part of a U.S. State
    Department program to introduce them to journalistic principles and
    practices.

    But the group - considered rising leaders in Eastern European countries
    such as Armenia, Estonia, Latvia and Russia - also are getting a taste
    of local politics. Russian is their common language.

    They had lunch at Wright's Cafeteria on Friday as guests of Knox County
    Mayor Tim Burchett and then met with him and some of his managers at the
    City County Building. I arranged these activities as one of my duties as
    a lecturer in the University of Tennessee School of Journalism and
    Electronic Media, which is hosting the group.

    Mustafa-Masi Nayyem, a producer/editor for a political TV show in the
    Ukraine, was one of the few who spoke English. He said he was interested
    in participating in the program because he's interested in what freedom
    of speech is like in the U.S.

    "I'm also interested in what's going on in America and how. I can see
    what's on TV," he said.

    The lunch at Wright's was all local. Owner David Wright served the meat
    portions as usual. An interpreter helped with translations.

    In the side room where the group sat was another group - all Republicans
    having a regular get-together. The group included several former
    Republican chairmen, former state Rep. H.E. Bittle and Knox County
    Criminal Court Clerk Joy McCroskey.

    "Do Democrats eat here?" one of the visitors asked upon learning who was
    in the crowd.

    Burchett, a Republican, has hosted the Russian journalists before as a
    state senator.

    "It's important for them to see what the U.S. is about. It's about
    Wright's Cafeteria. David's mama and daddy were on this site for their
    grocery store. I've grown up here and have good memories," he said.

    He also said freedom of the press is "one of the strengths we have. We'd
    better let folks see the good here."

    The foreign journalists are hearing from UT political scientists and
    journalism educators during their stay, which started Thursday and ends
    Wednesday. They will tour broadcast, print and online facilities while
    in Knoxville, ending on Tuesday in the News Sentinel newsroom as
    Election Day comes to a close.

    "Obviously the election process in the U.S. is different from the
    processes they might see in the world, particularly where they are from.
    This is wonderful exposure on how we conduct our democracy on the
    political level," said Peter Gross, the journalism school's director.

    n FROM CYPERSPACE: Mike Clark, Democratic nominee in the 1st District
    congressional race against U.S. Rep. Phil Roe, a Republican, disagreed
    with this column a week ago when it reported he was doing little
    campaigning.

    He said media coverage is lacking in the race. He said East Tennesseans
    know more about differences in the Kentucky Senate race than about
    differences between his and Roe's positions on issues, which has
    resulted in apathy.

    "This, as much as anything else, especially voter preference, has
    perpetuated GOP government in East Tennessee, I believe, and made it
    difficult for even local candidates to be able to be taken seriously or
    to stand on even footing," he said in an e-mail.

    Georgiana Vines is a retired News Sentinel associate editor. She may be
    reached at 865-577-6612 or [email protected].




    From: A. Papazian
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