RoTaPress International is looking for student editors, reporters, analysts
RoTaPress International is a new media center and website aimed at bringing news of the world to Hungary, and news of Hungary to the world. Based in Budapest and New York, it is multi-subject and multi-lingual. It is dedicated to freedom of opinion and openness to all cultures.
Now just getting started, RoTaPress International is looking for students to contribute to its operations in several ways. These contributions can come on a volunteer basis with the opportunity to learn about the field of international news coverage, and/or on the basis of the opportunity to earn credits at McDaniel College Budapest, which RoTaPress and the College have agreed is possible.
Here are some of the tasks for which students are urgently needed:
-Creation of Internet search profiles: RoTaPress sorts the most important and interesting news stories. This is a multi-step process that requires the creation of search profiles, leading to the construction of a search engine. An excellent task for someone interested not only in international events, but in the functioning of the Internet.
-Daily news editing: Once search profiles are finalized, RoTaPress must sort stories. Daily editors must consider the following questions: What is news? What stories should have priority on the website? How do you know whether a story is true? What sort of title and keywords should a story receive? This is a crucial task that follows the creation of a search engine.
-Translation editing: Articles about Hungary more often than not come to RoTaPress written in Hungarian. Initial translations of these articles into English are usually imperfect, and editing of them into to clear, accurate English is a crucial step for the proper presentation of the news and stories contained in them. An important exercise that can be tackled by both Hungarian and non-Hungarian students, providing especially valuable experience to future journalists; it is proficiency in English that matters.
-Regional coverage: RoTaPress is at present collecting stories about Hungary, and about countries where many Hungarian ex-patriots live, like the Anglo-Saxon countries. Its ambition is to cover the entire world, including other parts of Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Students will have the chance to sort stories about different regions and countries that interest them, which in the long run will lead to country profiles. An excellent exercise in particular for political science and international relations students interested in how the images of countries are formed.
-Business and finance editing: An important and fast-paced segment of the news involves business, finance, and economic news. Students will be needed to sort through such stories as they appear during the day, to judge what stories should have priority. An especially interesting task for those who are looking to observe how business news is continually unfolding, and how the news from one part of the world instantly affects another.
If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please contact Dr. Adamson.
