Financial Media Institute 2008

The US-China Education Trust, the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism and the Fudan University School of Journalism jointly sponsored the second annual Financial Media Institute (FMI) in April 2008. Held at Fudan University, the second FMI brought together 30 fourth-year and graduate journalism students principally from Fudan and other journalism schools in Shanghai as well as young journalists from the Shanghai area. The institute focused on various aspects of business and economics reporting, highlighting current practices in the US. Graduates received a certificate jointly issued by the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism and the Fudan University School of Journalism. Robert Keatley, former editor of The Asian Wall Street Journal, took the helm as the institute’s director.

Guest lecturers from organizations including The Wall Street Journal, China Business Network, Money Weekly, Reuters, Shanghai Media Group, The Financial Times and the South China Morning Post joined the program’s director in presenting a practical view of the journalism profession and the key skills needed for success. To prepare students for financial reporting, additional instructors covered topics including investment, stock markets, and economic theory. The demanding curriculum also required that participants complete three hands-on “reporting” assignments.