Lawrence Pintak

Director, Kamal Adham Center for Journalism Training and Research

The American University in Cairo

113 Kasr el Aini St., P.O. Box 2511

Cairo 11511, Egypt

Tel (20-2) 2797-5422/3/4. Fax (20-2) 795-7565

 E-mail: lpintak@aucegypt.edu

http://www.aucegypt.edu/academic/cej/

www.pintak.com

Overview

Award-winning former CBS News correspondent, print and Internet journalist/editor, international communications consultant, and author with 30 years experience in the media on four continents, now focused on teaching and research.

Research Interests

·         The relationship between the U.S. and the Muslim world, with an emphasis on the intersection of policy, perception and communication;

·         Media and globalization, particularly in terms of how media shapes international policy and is reshaping the concept of identity;

·         Media as catalyst for civil society, social and political change;

·         The rights and responsibilities of media in the new global landscape;

·         Political Islam, radical Islamist terrorism and democracy in the Muslim world.

Professional History

Current                  The American University in Cairo

                                Director, Kamal Adham Center for Journalism Training and Research

                Responsible for administering the Arab world’s leading training and research center in the fields of television, radio and new media, serving both the academic and professional media communities with an annual budget of $1.1 million.

Key achievements-to-date:

·         Created new two-year Master’s degree in television & digital journalism (launch: fall 2008)

·         Secured $1 million USAID grant for creation of web-based news and information portal for Egyptian civil society, with related academic course and training for working journalists and NGO activists

·         Reached agreement with Int’l Center for Journalists to base Knight International Journalism Fellows at the Center

·         Repositioned Center’s academic journal, Transnational Broadcasting Studies as Arab Media & Society with new broader mission (launched March 2007 at www.arabmediasociety.org)

·         Developed advising/partnering agreement with Qatar University under which Center advises on curriculum development, teaches modular courses in Doha, and QU sends its students to Center for summer courses and graduate training (the cornerstone of broader university-wide relationship between AUC and QU)

·         Increased course offerings and frequency for external professional certificate program aimed at working journalists

·         At request of dean, co-authored new undergraduate "convergence" journalism curriculum

·         Created Middle East Journalism Intensive, a partnership between AUC, American University in Beirut, and Qatar University. Project will bring together Arab and Western students (June 2008)

·         During my stewardship, after a five-year funding hiatus, the Adham family of Saudi Arabia in 2007 made a $6.5 million donation to fund new studios and create an endowment under which the Center will carry the name of the late Sheikh Kamal Adham. A separate $250,000 donation was received from TV journalist Linda Vester to endow a newroom on the new campus.

·         Created and led team-taught, cross-listed graduate course “Understanding Civil Society” bringing together seven AUC programs involved in civil society issues.

·         Supervised design and creation of new $1 million broadcast facility and networked broadcast, print and radio newsrooms, studios and training facilities for new AUC campus.

Course taught: “Electronic News Gathering (ENG)” and “Understanding Civil Society”

2003 to 2005        University of Michigan

Visiting Professor, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy (2004-2005)

Howard R. Marsh Visiting Professor of Journalism (2003-2004)

Affiliations:

Faculty, Communications Studies department

Faculty, Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS)

Faculty, Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies (CMENAS)

Participating Researcher, Roots of Terrorism Initiative, Institute for Social Research

Courses Developed/Taught:

“America, Islam & the War on Terror” (Ford School)

“Media Globalization & Foreign Policy” (Ford School)

“Terrorism, Islam & the Media” (Near East/Comm Studies)

“Engaged Journalism: Conscience, Compassion and Conflict” (Comm Studies)

“Media & Globalization” (Comm Studies)

Additional responsibilities include:

“Islamic Movements in Comparative Perspective” – Responsible for the Indonesia module of this team-taught graduate survey course. Winter 2004 & 2005.

“The Iraq War” – Jointly presented module on policy options for this team-taught mini-course offered through the Univ. of Michigan’s Residential College, winter 2004.

“Introduction to Southeast Asian Studies” – Presented module on Islam in Southeast Asia for this team-taught survey course for incoming MA students, fall 2004.

2001 to 2002        Center for Psychology & Social Change, Cambridge, MA

Communications Director

Helped plan strategic repositioning of this 20-year old Harvard-associated research center with a portfolio that ranged from Middle East conflict resolution to the psychological aspects of religious experience.

2000 to 2001        Individual.com

Editorial Director

Streamlined newsroom operations for this now-defunct business news site with one million+ registered users. Additional responsibilities included daily column on the Internet, also appearing on Office.com. Weekly column for Internet.com.

1998 to 2000        Worcester Publishing, Massachusetts

Director of Internet Strategy

Developed the business/content plans and site architecture to drive corporate web strategy for the firm's regional business journals and consumer publishing properties, including the Hartford Business Journal, Mainebiz (Portland), Worcester Business Journal, Employment Journal, and Worcester Magazine.

Editor, Worcester Magazine -- Editorially reinvigorated and visually redesigned this award-winning 40,000 circulation Village Voice-style newspaper outside Boston.

1997 to 1998        Contributing Correspondent, Indonesia

Covered the Southeast Asian economic collapse and Suharto overthrow for The San Francisco Chronicle, PRI's Marketplace, ABC Radio, The Washington Times and others.

1989 to 1997        Pintak Corporate Communications, Jakarta, Indonesia & Washington, D.C.

Managing Partner

Headed full service integrated communications firm with a staff of 20+.

Services included: Media relations strategies and issues management, senior level corporate counseling, crisis communications plans, media relations, issues management/white papers, speechwriting, special events, print collateral and video production for major corporations, trade groups, foreign governments and international relief organizations in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Publisher: American Chamber of Commerce Magazine, Indonesia Business File (guide for Indonesian Chamber of Commerce), Jakarta Travel File (for City of Jakarta), Indonesia Business CD-Rom for U.S. embassy, and other projects.

Clients included: Fortune 500 firms, the U.S. Commerce Dept., the Jakarta Stock Exchange, the French Space Agency, numerous Washington, D.C. embassies, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry and some of Southeast Asia’s largest corporations.

1986 to 1989        European Contributing Correspondent, London & Rome

                                Writer/Producer/Correspondent

Credits include segments for The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour (PBS), Today’s Business, a syndicated documentary on the Vatican, and opinion pieces for newspapers ranging from The New York Times to the International Herald Tribune.

1980 to 1985        CBS News

                                Middle East Correspondent

Based variously in Beirut, Cairo and Amman. Major stories included the Iran-Iraq war, the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the U.S. Marines Beirut bombing, the Libyan invasion of Chad, and a variety of stories across the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

1977 to 1980        Freelance correspondent, Southern Africa

Reported for Time, Newsweek, AP, Reuters, The Times of London, The Chicago Sun-Times, NBC Radio and various others.

1975 to 1977        Associated Press Radio

                                Washington Correspondent

                                Covered the White House, State Dept. and Capitol Hill.

Books

Forthcoming

The New Arab Journalist: Mission & Identity in a Time of Change

I.B. Tauris, publication date Fall 2009

Published:

Reflections in a Bloodshot Lens: America, Islam & the War of Ideas

Pluto Books/Univ. of Michigan Press (2006)

“…an example of the best of contemporary journalism … an intriguing mix of journalism and scholarship.” Middle East Journal

“Persuasive…” Foreign Affairs

“…a stimulating analysis.” Arab Affairs Quarterly

Seeds of Hate: How America’s Flawed Middle East Policy Ignited the Jihad

Pluto Books (Sept. 2003) (revision/update of book below)

“One of the most perceptive accounts of the nightmare in Lebanon.” The Washington Post            

Beirut Outtakes: A TV Correspondent’s Portrait of America’s Encounter with Terror

Lexington Books/D.C. Heath (1987, paper 1988)

“A tour d’force…” Anthony Lewis, The New York Times

Chapters

Journalist as Change Agent: Government repression, corporate feudalism and the mission of Arab journalism. An invited chapter in Middle East and the Media, Arneim Heinemann, ed. Saqi Books (2008).

America and the Muslim World. An invited chapter in Terrorism, Democracy, the West and the Muslim World, Abdul Rashid Moten, ed., Thompson Learning, (2007).

“Not Quite Kifaya: Satellite TV and Arab Democracy.” An invited chapter in New Media and Socio-Political Change in the Arab World; the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS) and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (2007).

Framing the Other: America & Islam since 9/11. An invited chapter in Muslims in the Media, John Richardson and Elizabeth Poole, eds., I.B. Taurus (2006).

 “Rewriting the Rules of Journalism.” An invited chapter in Al Jazeera at Ten Years, Al-Jazeera Foundation (Doha 2006).

Select Recent Articles (Scholarly)

“The Mission of Arab Journalism: Creating change in a time of turmoil.” The International Journal Press/Politics (in press, Vol. 13, No. 3, July 2008).

“Inside the Arab Newsroom: Arab journalists evaluate themselves and the competition.” Journalism Studies (in review).

“Satellite TV News and Arab Democracy,” Journalism Practice (Vol. 2 No. 1, Feb. 2008).

Review essay: Democracy and Counterterrorism. In European Journal of Communication (Vol. 23, No. 1, Feb. 2008).

“Taking Stock: Arab Media in 2007.” Arab Media & Society, Jan. 2008.

“Beyond Media Dialogues: Time to put away the champagne flutes.” Arab Media & Society, (Oct. 2007).

 “Darfur: Covering the Forgotten Story,” Arab Media & Society (May 2007).

“Reporting a Revolution: The Changing Arab Media Landscape,” Arab Media & Society (Feb. 2007)

 “Arab Media: Not Yet Utopia,” Journal of Transnational Broadcasting Studies, Spring/Summer 2006.

“Covering Indonesia.” Review essay of Steele, Janet, Wars Within: The Story of Tempo, and Parry, Richard Lloyd, In the Time of Madness. Columbia Journalism Review, Jan/Feb. 2006.

 “Arab Media in the Vortex,” Journal of Transnational Broadcasting Studies, Winter 2005.

“How Palestine Became a Marker of Muslim Identity in Indonesia,” Journal of Transnational Broadcasting Studies, Fall 2005.

 “The Release Value of Muslim Democracy: Southeast Asia’s Emerging Model,” Global Dialogue Journal, Vol. 5, No. 3-4 Summer/Autumn 2004

Review of Abuza, Z., Militant Islam in Southeast Asia, in Journal of Terrorism and Political Violence, Vol. 16, 2004

Review essay of Safi, O., Progressive Muslims, in Middle East Journal, 58/1 Winter 2004

“Media Manipulation in the Middle East,” in Media Asia, 30/3, 2003

Select Recent Articles (Middle East/Intl Relations)

“Middle East Heading for a New Cold War?” Arab News, Jan. 20, 2007.

“America’s Media Bubble,” Sunday Boston Globe, Nov. 19, 2006/International Herald Tribune, Nov. 20, 2006.

“Future History: A look at what U.S. Lebanon policy could spawn,” Commondreams.org/Daily Star, Aug. 3, 2006.

“Lebanon: Black & White and Dead All Over,” Arab News/Daily Star/Gulf News/Jakarta Post, July 23, 2006

"Dangerous Delusions: Advertising Nonsense about Advertising America," PublicDiplomacy.org (Aug. 29, 2004)/The Daily Star, Beirut/Tempo, Indonesia.

"Osama's Wet Dream: Losing Hearts & Minds in Iraq and Beyond," Commondreams.org (April 9, 2004)

"Taking on the Shi'ites: How America is Creating a Powerful New Enemy," Commondreams.org (April 5, 2004)

"A Template for Muslim Democracy in SE Asia?" The Daily Star, Beirut (Mar 31, 2004)

"The Terrorists Cast Their Votes," Detroit Free Press (March 17, 2004)

"Remember Beirut: History shows perils of revamping Middle East," Detroit Free Press (Oct. 23, 2003)

 “Beirut to Baghdad,” in Al-Hayat (Oct. 2003)

“Bush Sends Mixed Signals to Indonesia,” in Tempo, Indonesia (Oct. 2003)

“Arabs and Democracy,” Daily Star, Beirut (Oct. 2003)

"The New Colonialism: Iraq, Islam & the American Regency," Progressive Populist (April 15, 2003)

Select Recent Articles (Media)

“Misreading the Arab Media,” The New York Times, May 25, 2008/International Herald Tribune, May 26, 2008

“The Princess and the Facebook Girl,” Arab Media & Society/Newsweek.WashingtonPost.com/Daily Star Beirut, May 2008.

“Boycotting Al-Jazeera,” Newsweek.WashingtonPost.com, March 27, 2008.

“Egypt Shuts Down Insurgent TV, but Other Allies Keep it Live,” Columbia Journalism Review Daily, Feb. 28, 2007.

“Insurgent TV: Coming to a Satellite Near You? Arab News/Gulf News/CJR Daily, Jan. 8, 2007.

“Cairo Ignores U.S. Request to Pull Plug on Jihadi TV in Iraq.” Beirut Daily Star/Gulf News, Jan. 4, 2007.

“Looks Who’s Fair and Balanced,” Columbia Journalism Review Daily (CJRDaily.org)/Daily Star/Gulf News, Aug. 22, 2006

“Open Season on Journalists in the Middle East,” Columbia Journalism Review Daily/Daily Star/Gulf News (CJRDaily.org), Aug. 1, 2006

“The Fog of Cable,” Columbia Journalism Review Daily (CJRDaily.org)/Daily Star/Gulf News, July 21, 2006

“Western, Arab Journalists Miles Apart in Cartoon Rift,” Columbia Journalism Review Daily (CJRDaily.org), Feb. 3, 2006.

“A New Arab Media Rises from the Rubble,” Columbia Journalism Review Daily (CJRDaily.org), Dec. 14, 2005.

Additional Publications

Other opinion/analysis pieces and features have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The International Herald Tribune, The Washington Journalism Review, The Middle East Journal, American Journalism Review, Asia Times, al-Hayat, Public Relations Journal, TomPaine.com, Earth Times Monthly, World Trade Magazine, Tactics, IABC Communicator, Beliefnet.com, Shambhala Sun, and various other media.

Select Professional Talks/Panels

Arab Media as Agenda-setters, Gatekeepers and Watchdogs. Presenter. The Role of the News Media in the Governance Reform Agenda, Harvard-World Bank Workshop, The Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy, The Kennedy School, May 29-31, 2008.

Setting the Arab News Agenda. Panelist. London Middle East Institute, School of Oriental and African Studies. May 12, 2008.

Media and Polarization. Panelist, UN Alliance of Civilizations First Annual Forum. Madrid, Jan. 16, 2008.

Al-Jazeera. Panelist for event in the New York Museum of Television and Radio series on Arab media. May 2007.

Media and Democracy. Panel participant at Arab Broadcast Forum, aired live on Abu Dhabi TV, al-Jazeera Moubashar and BBC Arabic. Abu Dhabi, May 2007.

US-Arab World Communications, Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, April 23, 2007.

Background on the Crisis, chair of panel at Covering Darfur, workshop co-sponsored by the Center for Electronic Journalism at AUC and the International Crisis Group, April 19, 2007.

Turning Ten: Three broadcasters who have changed the media world. Host of talk format program on the growth of satellite television at the annual European Broadcast Union “NewsExchange” conference (also aired live on al-Jazeera’s public affairs channel), Istanbul, Nov. 3, 2006.

Hearts, Minds & the Media in the Middle East. Member of panel moderated by Judith Kipper of the Council on Foreign Relations at the Monaco Media Forum, Oct. 21, 2006.

Media as an Agent of (Mis)Understanding. Member of panel moderated by Dr. Henry Kissinger at the annual meeting of the International Council of the Museum of Television and Radio, an annual retreat of 50 CEOs/presidents of the world’s largest media conglomerates. Istanbul, Sept. 14-17, 2006.

Covering the Other: Intolerance and Bigotry in the American and Arab Media. Member of panel at 4^th Arab Thought Conference, Arab Thought Foundation. Dubai, Dec. 5, 2005.

Talking Points: Stereotypes and Othering in the Media. Talk at U.S.-Arab Media Forum, Aspen Institute; Dubai, Dec. 2, 2005.

A Matter of Identity: Urban Renewal in the Global Village. Talk at EuroMed and the Media conference; European Union. Barcelona; Nov. 26, 2005.

Implications of wider access to audio visual and new media. Talk at EuroMed and the Media conference; European Union. Dead Sea, Jordan; Sept. 27, 2005.

academic Papers/Presentations

Journalist as Change Agent: Government repression, corporate feudalism and the new mission of Arab journalism. Keynote speech, Beirut Media Forum, 11/8/07.

Separate but Not Equal: The View from Abroad. Presentation at “Immigration, Citizenship and the Mass Media” symposium, University of Michigan, 4/23/07

Weaponization of the Media, Amsterdam Center for Conflict Studies, Amsterdam, 2/2/07. Chair, “Journalists as Targets” panel; member, “News Organizations as Political Actors” panel.

Organizer and chair, “Arab Media Reform: Mapping the Terrain.” Symposium at the Center for Middle East and North African Studies, University of Michigan. 3/10/06.

Current Approaches to Teaching Television Journalism.” Qatar University, Doha; 10/7/05.

Media & Identity: Why non-Arab Muslims now care about Arab issues. Presentation that the Conference on Media and European-Middle Eastern Relations: A Virtual Dialogue? Orient-Institute, Beirut. 10/11/05.

The Communications Gap between America and the Muslim World. Keynote address at “The International Conference on Muslims and Islam in the 21^st Century: Image & Reality,” International Islamic University, Malaysia, 8/4-6/04.

 ‘Us’ and ‘Them’ in the Media. Presented at “From Suicide Bombings to the Capture of Saddam: Middle Eastern and American Journalists Compare Coverage,” Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies, University of Michigan, 4/15/04

Reflections in a Bloodshot Lens: America and the Muslim World, the Marsh Memorial Lecture, University of Michigan, 4/1/04

In the Eye of the Beholder: How mass-mediated perceptions drive terror. Paper presented at “The Strategic Importance, Causes and Consequences of Terrorism colloquium,” Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 3/10/04.

Beyond the Middle East: How American policy has alienated non-Arab Muslims. Invited talk given at the Centers for South Asian and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Michigan, 3/20/04.

Guest Lectures

Middle East Centre, St. Antony’s College, Oxford;  Communication and Media Research Institute, University of Westminster, London; Edward R. Murrow Center, Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, Tufts University; Stanford University; Center for Public Diplomacy, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California; Graduate School of Journalism, University of California-Berkeley; University of the Pacific; Middle East Studies Center, University of California-Davis; United States Naval Academy; George Washington University; Qatar University; U.S. Dept. of State; U.S.-Indonesia Society; Aspen Institute, Washington, D.C.; 2^nd al-Jazeera Forum, Qatar.

Recent Media Appearances/Interviews

America Abroad Media/NPR; Frost over the World (David Frost), al-Jazeera English; The NewsHour, PBS; BBC World (TV); International Correspondents, CNN; al-Jazeera; On the Media, NPR; Listening Post, al-Jazeera English; WBAI (NY); KPFK (LA); KALW (San Francisco); BBC World Service; Time; Washington Post; Reuters; Bloomberg; Associated Press; Europa (Italy); Egypt Today; The Kuwait Times; The Peninsula (Qatar);

Service/Professional

Publisher and co-editor, Arab Media & Society (formerly The Journal of Transnational Broadcasting Studies). www.Arabmediasociety.org

Publisher, www.mogtamana.org (www.egyptcivilsociety.org), Egyptian civil society website

Knight International Fellows program, International Center for Journalists, Advisory Committee on Middle East and North Africa

European Commission, EuroMed and the Media Task Force member

UN Alliance of Civilizations, Global Experts Council

UN Arab-African Civil Council for the Millennium Development Goals, advisor

Middle East Times, editorial board member for re-launched regional newspaper

Arab Broadcast Forum, editorial board member

Aspen Institute U.S.-Arab Media Forum, participant

Media, War, and Conflict (Sage, 1^st issue April 2008), editorial board member

Contributing Commentator, Listening Post media program, al-Jazeera English

Medan.org, board of advisors

Global Media Journal, board of advisors

Graduate Committee, Journalism and Mass Communication Dept., AUC

Graduate student admissions committee, Center for Middle East and Near East Studies, International Institute, University of Michigan (2005).

Human Rights Initiative steering committee, Institute for the Humanities, University of Michigan, 2004-2005.

Expert testimony on terrorism research proposal, Institutional Review Board, Univ. of Michigan, 2004.

Reviewer for Iran media research proposal, Office of the VP for Research, Univ. of Michigan, 2004

Reviewer for book proposals; topics include international relations, the Middle East and media for Polity Books, AUC Press, and Pluto Books

Communications Committee chair, American Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia. 1996-1997

Founding co-chair, Int’l Section, Public Relations Society of America, 1993-94

Grants/Endowments

Family of Sheikh Kamal Adham (2007/8): $5.5 million. A small annual stipend from the family of the late Saudi entrepreneur had lapsed under the previous Center director. In fall 2007, two-and-a-half years into my tenure, the family made a $500,000 donation and subsequently agreed to a $4 million endowment and $1 million contribution to new studios.

Carnegie Corporation of New York (2008): $200,000 two-year grant to underwrite cost of 12 U.S. journalism students to participate each year in the AUC-Qatar University Middle East Journalism Intensive.

Linda Vester (2007). During my tenure, television anchor Linda Vester made a $250,000 contribution to build a new digital newsroom.

Qatar University (2007-8): $50,000 in cash and facilities to partially underwrite summer Middle East Journalism Intensive in June 2008.

Coptic Orphans (2007): $11,000 to fund documentary course that produced documentary on Coptic orphanage in Egypt

USAID (2006): $970,000 grant for Egyptian civil society media portal

Rockefeller Brothers Fund (2005): $50,000 for Muslim world media research

Marsh Foundation (2004): $10,000 for Arab media project

Center for Middle East and North African Studies (2004): $2,000 for Arab media project

Teaching

Consistently high ratings on student evaluations, with students frequently making comments such as, “Best course I’ve ever taken.”

Degrees/Honors

University of Wales, PhD candidate in Islamic Studies (Islam & the Media). Dissertation – Islam, Nationalism and the Mission of Arab Journalism.

University of Wales, MPhil in Islamic Studies (Islam & International Relations, 2005). Dissertation – Framing the Other: The Effect of Worldview, Rhetoric and Media Dissonance on Muslim Perceptions of the US

Stanford University, Publishing on the Web course, Nov. 1999

The American University, Washington, D.C., BA in Communications (1977)

                                Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern Univ., undergraduate studies (transferred)

Professional Awards

                                Emmy Nominations:

1983 – “Outstanding coverage of a single breaking news story” for Beirut U.S. Marines barracks bombing on The CBS Evening News.

1980 – “Outstanding program achievement” for exclusive coverage of the opening days of the Iran-Iraq War on The CBS Evening News.

Overseas Press Club:

1983 – “Citation for Excellence,” Ben Grauer Award for Best Radio Spot News Reporting, for coverage of the Lebanon conflict.

1980 – “Citation for Excellence” for exclusive coverage of the opening days of the Iran-Iraq War on The CBS Evening News.

New England Press Association (editor of winning paper)

2000 – Top award for “General Excellence” (Alt Weekly category)

1999 – Top award for “General Excellence” (Alt Weekly category)

1998 – Newspaper of the Year (Alt Weekly category)

Thoth Award, Public Relations Society of America (Wash., D.C.):

1993 – For a video on healthcare.

Gold Quill Award, International Assoc. of Business Communicators:

1992 – For an educational video on childhood vision.

Member

American Academy of Religion (AAR)

Middle East Studies Association (MESA)

Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (AEJMC)

Personal

Born:       August 1, 1955

Wife:        Indira Pintak, currently pursuing PhD in Social Welfare at UC Berkeley

Three children