A few weeks ago a US Embassy staff member got in touch with me and asked if I was willing to work with some journalists to help improve their English. I didn’t know exactly what that would entail, but the idea of working with journalists sounded awesome, so I immediately said yes. I knew it would be super interesting to meet members of the Azerbaijani media and learn about their work, how they write, and what they are interested in. Generally meeting a new professional class sounded like a cool opportunity.
What the assignment entails in actuality is working with two different news companies. With one of them, TREND News Agency, a media outlet which focuses mostly on economic news. TREND is also the only privately-owned newspaper in Azerbaijan.
The journalists I work with there have an amazing level of English, which I was deeply impressed by. Moreover, it meant that my work with them would focus on developing their writing style and having discussions about advanced topics, which is really exciting for me as a teacher. Recently, for example, we debated Conchita Wurst’s role in the West vs. Russia dynamic.
In addition to working with the staff on their English, I also get to do editing, which is really cool. Since my first internship, at B’Tselem (an Israeli human rights NGO), I have worked on writing, editing, social media, and other communications-related tasks so I find this kind of work very satisfying and enjoyable. In fact, upon my return to the US I hope to find a job in this field, so having this kind of experience is a huge privilege. Finally, I even got to publish an analytical piece of my own in the magazine! For a young professional in IR/Middle Eastern affairs, I felt incredibly honored to have such an opportunity. If you are curious about my piece, please follow this link: http://en.trend.az/regions/scaucasus/azerbaijan/2275611.html
All in all, I love working at TREND. It added a whole new, fascinating, and fun dimension to my time in Azerbaijan. Not only am I doing stuff I love to do- teaching, writing, and editing- I also have an insider look into Azerbaijan’s media and I am blown away by the high level of professionalism and integrity. I know they will accomplish great things, and I am so honored to contribute, even a tiny bit, to this amazing organization.
South of Russia, North of Iran 