WSU faculty visit Armenia to share expertise on media technology and coverage of humanitarian crises

Two members of the faculty of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University recently spent a week at the American University in Armenia (AUA) giving talks on issues critical to the country’s journalists, who are still grappling with the aftermath of a 2023 conflict with neighboring Azerbaijan that forced at least 120,000 ethnic Armenians to flee their homes.

Topics included the use of advanced technologies in humanitarian situations, coverage of forced migration, safeguarding information integrity, and journalism ethics, based on the latest research and technological advances in the U.S.

“The media’s role in humanitarian disasters has morphed rapidly with the incorporation of technological developments in newsrooms,” said Bimbisar Irom, PhD, a Murrow assistant professor of journalism and media production. “As critical observers, students, and practitioners of the media, it is incumbent on us to understand the rapid changes and deploy new technologies to best serve the interests of those trapped in humanitarian crises situations.”

The visit was part of a partnership between AUA and Murrow College to create a master’s degree in multiplatform journalism and a Center for Excellence in Journalism at AUA, funded under a $2.2 million U.S. Department of State grant. The first master’s cohort began study in late June.

Audiences for the visiting faculty included journalists, representatives of media non-profit groups, and AUA students.

“I was heartened by the energy and passion the students brought into the workshops,” Irom said. “They were not hesitant to engage with complex issues of newsroom ethics, use of emergent technologies, and reporting on underrepresented groups. I left convinced that the AUA journalism program has a central role to play in developing and nurturing a resilient, democratic society.”

Porismita Borah, PhD, a professor at Murrow and editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Public Opinion Research, spoke on information integrity, another critical issue for Armenia amid claims of foreign information manipulation and interference in the lead-up to its 2026 election.

“The accuracy of information is a critical part of our everyday lives, without which we may not be able to make important decisions,” Borah said. “Although the misuse of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence increases some of these challenges, the same tools may also help us find solutions.”

The partnership is part of Murrow’s International Journalism Education Initiative, coordinated by Lawrence Pintak, who was Murrow’s founding dean. The project works with schools in the Global South to bolster journalism education at a time when the news industry is under siege around the world.

“Bringing the international expertise of the WSU faculty into our classroom is so valuable for our students,” said AUA Provost Alina Gharabegian, PhD. “That we can do it just weeks after they have begun their studies underlines AUA’s commitment to making sure they emerge from the program as journalists able to bring a broad worldview to their work.”