University of Maryland Department of Communication COMM !"# $%periential &earning' (pring 2014 )O*+, )-)$.''/O.$*0+ .$CO.

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Meghan Kelly March 12, 2014

(u12ect3 ,he 4ocus data1ase includes media outlets from around the 5orld3 Offices are located around the glo1e in order to provide international clients 5ith a comprehensive and useful data1ase3 Often, media researchers in the College )ar6 office come across records in need of verification from other countries3 Depending on the country, language, and time 7one, many approaches are ta6en to handles these records3 8ac6ground3 ,he foreign records that media researcher interns are e%pected to verify are in Canada, )uerto .ico, and any other U3(3 territory3 -ny ne5spapers that are located in the U3(3 1ut are 5ritten in another language are included as 5ell3 +e5spapers or ne5spaper personnel that are located outside of the country 9e%cluding these areas: are reassigned to a specific person 5ho is trained to handle them3 Discussion3 * 5or6ed on foreign records for a1out ; hours3 Most of the foreign records * completed 5ere (panish and /rench3 *f the paper 5as 5ritten in another language 1ut produced in the U3(3 or other territory, then * 5ould complete the verifications as usual3 * first as6ed if anyone if the office spo6e $nglish so that * could minimi7e confusion in the interaction and have an effective conversation3 *f the language 1arrier 5as too strong, * 5as instructed to complete the verifications at a level 1 9via online research: to confirm the contact<s title, email, and 1eats3 *f * came across a ne5spaper located in another country, * 5ould reassign the record to =ordan, a senior media researcher 5ho speciali7es in international records3 *f * discovered that a contact 5as 1ased in another country and 5as acting as a correspondent for a U3(3 paper, * 5ould also reassign the record to =ordan3 >e 5ould then ma6e the final decisions and verification3 .ecommendations3 ?or6ing 5ith foreign records 5as a ne5 and challenging tas6 for me3 Many of the records 5ere very easy, particularly in Canada 5here most contacts spo6e $nglish3 Others produced a lot of challenges3 * spea6 some (panish, so at times * 5as a1le to communicate in (panish to the receptionist3 >o5ever, other times * could not get across my point or the contact 5ould not 1e a1le to understand 5hat * as6ed3 &evel 1 verifications 5ere also difficult 1ecause the 5e1sites 5ere mostly in (panish so it too6 longer to find the information that * needed3 ,ools such as 0oogle ,ranslate 5ere very useful3 *t 5as helpful to 6no5 that if * 5as una1le to verify the record, * could al5ays reassign the tas6 to =ordan 5ho 5ould 1e a1le to handle the situation for me3