Business and Economic Journalism for NEA Journalists

September 12-25, 2004, Washington, D.C., Chicago, New York
Contact: Washington Foreign Press Center Program Officer: Algis Silas
Telephone: 202-504-6317, Email:silasa@state.gov

The Washington Foreign Press Center program officer for the Middle East and North Africa, in coordination with the International Press Center/Chicago Office of Tourism and the New York Foreign Press Center, organized a 14-day working reporting tour to Washington, D.C., Chicago, Illinois and New York, NY for a group of eight NEA journalists from Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia.

In Washington, D.C., the group met with government officials such as the Department of State's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary J. Scott Carpenter, and the Department of Treasury's Under Secretary for Enforcement Stuart Levey, to receive an overview of the Bush Administrations' Middle East economic strategy and the Treasury Department's role in combating terrorism and its work to increase transparency of charities.  Some private sector meetings included visits with Richard Morford, the Director for Donor and Multilateral Relations of the Millennium Challenge Corporation for an overview of the Millennium Challenge Account, and a meeting with American Enterprise Institute's Resident Fellow James Glassman to discuss the issue of journalistic reporting of business and economic issues in the U.S.

In Chicago, Illinois some of the program meetings included visiting Arab American and Muslim American businesses.  One meeting was at the Crescent Foods poultry processing plant with Mr. Ahmad Adam, President/CEO for an overview of Crescent Foods Halal poultry processing activities.  Another visit included a meeting with the board officers of the United Trust Bank, a majority Arab American owned bank, to discuss the bank's origins and other business and economic issues within the Arab and Muslim American community of Chicago.  Other meetings included meeting with the Executive Director of the World Business Chicago, Paul O'Connor; a briefing at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange; meeting with the Editor of Crain's Chicago Business Weekly, Jeff Bailey; and visiting with the Chicago Tribune's business editor, Rob Karwath, and observing the Chicago Tribune's 1st page editorial meeting.

Journalists concluded their working reporting tour in New York City.  Some of the meetings included:  visiting with the New York Times' Deputy Business Editor, Tom Redburn; observing the activities of the New York Stock Exchange(NYSE) and meeting with Alain Morvan, Senior Vice President for International Relations and with Margaret Tutwiler, Vice President of Communications and Government Relations at the NYSE; viewing the Rebuiling Exhibit of Ground Zero, and the actual Ground Zero site; and meeting with Sheik Fahdel Al-Sahlani to get an overview of the New York Muslim American community and the activities of Imam Al-Khoei Islamic Center of Jamaica, New York.