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Jonathan Kaufman
Professor of Journalism, Director of the School of Journalism

Jonathan Kaufman in the Press

Jonathan Kaufman for Northeastern Global News

Words as weapons: How the Israel-Hamas war also turned language into a battleground

Words as weapons: How the Israel-Hamas war also turned language into a battleground

Public discourse about the Israel-Hamas war presents as a linguistic minefield riddled with terms, slogans and international legalese.
Does China’s response to the coronavirus outbreak reflect lessons learned from SARS?

Does China’s response to the coronavirus outbreak reflect lessons learned from SARS?

Fear of a global pandemic is one of the factors driving China’s surprising decision to shut down airports in the hope of containing a dangerous virus. The Chinese government also appears to be influenced by the failure of its 2002-03 response to the outbreak of SARS, says School of Journalism director Jonathan Kaufman, former China bureau chief of The Wall Street Journal.
30 years ago the Berlin Wall fell. And then Prague happened.

30 years ago the Berlin Wall fell. And then Prague happened.

Just after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, Jonathan Kaufman, director of Northeastern’s School of Journalism, reported for The Boston Globe from Berlin and Prague. Thirty years later, he reflects on the experience: “History, and people, often surprise you.”
Journalism student earns reporting fellowship with New York Times

Journalism student earns reporting fellowship with New York Times

Tyler Blint-Welsh’s work experience at newspapers across the country has prepared him for a career as a reporter.
How can journalism ‘move the conversation forward’ on race?

How can journalism ‘move the conversation forward’ on race?

In the wake of racially charged rallies like the one in Charlottesville, Virginia last month, and as cities take stock of their histories by way of statutes, landmarks, and street names such as Yawkey Way in Boston, Northeastern’s School of Journalism hosted a media gut-check to examine how journalists should be covering these events. The consensus? There are no easy answers.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist: You ‘can’t protect readers’ from the truth

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist: You ‘can’t protect readers’ from the truth

Jonathan Kaufman, director of the School of Journalism, says he would have printed the entirety of Anthony Scaramucci’s obscenity-laden rant to The New Yorker. “When news breaks, the raw form is best,” he says, “in part because readers are demanding more and more transparency from the media these days.”
Pulitzers reward persistence, collaboration, local reporting in 2016

Pulitzers reward persistence, collaboration, local reporting in 2016

Like the Oscars and the Nobel prizes, the Pulitzer Prizes reward outstanding work but also send a message about where the judges think journalism should be going, says Jonathan Kaufman, director of the School of Journalism and a Pulitzer winner himself. The message? Do great work.
Publishing the Trump dossier: Inevitable or unjustifiable?

Publishing the Trump dossier: Inevitable or unjustifiable?

When news broke of a top-ranking intelligence briefing about allegations involving President-elect Donald Trump and Russia, many outlets covered the story, but only one published the salacious details. Here, two journalism professors offer counter viewpoints about that outlet’s decision, with one arguing “the information was bound to be disclosed or leaked,” and the other calling the decision “misguided” and noting that “raw intelligence of the sort is often wrong.”
Post-election forum examines media’s campaign coverage

Post-election forum examines media’s campaign coverage

Students, faculty, and staff convened on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the results of the 2016 presidential election. Discussion topics ranged from the credibility of the nation’s leading pollsters to the freedom of the press under a Trump administration, but talk frequently returned to the media’s coverage of one of the dirtiest political campaigns in the nation’s history.
Northeastern, US Navy team up for ‘idea hackathon’

Northeastern, US Navy team up for ‘idea hackathon’

The U.S. Navy has turned to Northeastern for its expertise in digital storytelling and data analytics to identify new ways to communicate the Navy experience to millennials. Student coders, designers, and storytellers can participate in the interactive hackathon, with prizes for the winners. The deadline to sign up to participate is today.