Following the success of our first CAAR-supported study tour to Morocco in 2018, Global Journalism Exchange (Global JX) ran an exchange of study tours between Australia and Morocco in late 2019 and early 2020.
In November, 2019, five student journalists from Deakin University spent 17 days in Morocco on the #OzinMorocco19 study tour. Travelling through six cities, the delegates made working visits to newsrooms and cultural institutions while producing multiple journalistic projects to tight, overlapping deadlines. These projects included long-form online multimedia pieces, traditional written articles, and social media storytelling. In their work, delegates were encouraged to avoid Orientalist tropes common to the genres of foreign correspondence and travel journalism, and to challenge dominant media narratives about the Middle East-North Africa region.
While in Rabat, the Deakin University delegates collaborated on joint projects with four student journalists from Institut Supérieur de l'Information et de la Communication (ISIC). Those four ISIC students then travelled to Melbourne in January, 2020, as delegates on the #MoroccoinOz20 study tour. While in Australia, the delegates from both universities continued the work they'd started in Morocco.
The exchange culminated with a formal event at Deakin University at which all nine delegates gave presentations about their tour experiences and key critical reflections. The delegates also showcased their personal and collaborative journalistic projects. Global JX was pleased to host at this event His Excellency Mr Karim Medrek, Ambassador of Morocco to Australia.
The CAAR's support was critical to the success of this large and complex program. We are also grateful to the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Canberra and Deakin University for their support.