This is a course on how journalists cover the world beyond U.S. borders. Our focus will be on two central questions: How do reporters make sense of a foreign place? And even more critically, how do they translate their understanding of that place to an American audience in a way that is comprehensible, engaging and insightful? From the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to the rising influence of China to transnational issues such as the environment and global poverty, journalists who cover international affairs have a critical role in accurately describing and revealing the world around us. This course will focus not only on reporting from abroad, but also ways of covering the world from here in Washington. Indeed we will pay special attention to how U.S. policy decisions influence world events, and how world events play into the policy debate in Washington.

Note: This course meets each week in The Washington Post newsroom.