An ISU professor has been honored for his dedication to improving journalism around the globe.Stephen Coons, associate professor of journalism and mass communication, was one of seven U.S. media professionals named a Knight International Press Fellow by the International Center for Journalists.After an application and interview process, Coons received official word of the fellowship in late September. He was then required to attend a week-long orientation in Washington, D.C. last week, where the fellows attended a reception in their honor.”I think [the fellowship] will give me an opportunity to gain a much more deeper understanding of the issues that journalism professionals are facing,” Coons said.As a press fellow, he will spend four months in Manaus, Brazil doing workshops for the professional journalists’ association of the state of Amazonas. Coons said he was “pleasantly surprised” to be assigned to Brazil because it has been one of his favorite countries to visit.In the past, he said his international workshops have typically lasted one to two weeks. Coons’ stay in Brazil, which begins in mid-May, will last four months and he said he will be able to make a lasting impression and set up an agenda for the future.”I’ll have a chance to make some long-term impact, so it’s exciting,” he said.Manaus, located in the middle of the Amazon rain forest, has a population of 1.5 – 2 million people, Coon said, though it is not considered one of the major media centers of the world. Since his emphasis is broadcast journalism, most of the workshops will be geared toward this area, he said. However, Coon said he will speak on conceptual themes, such as objectivity and ethics, that will be applicable to all forms of media. “I think it’s a great opportunity to work with some journalists who are doing exciting things,” he said.John Eighmey, professor and chairman of the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, said the Knight Fellowship is a great honor for Coon.”I think it’s outstanding recognition for his extraordinary ability to teach journalists about the craftsmanship of reporting and writing,” he said.Eighmey said Coon should be commended for the risks he takes in making these workshops possible because travel in these countries “is not easy or safe.””I don’t know how many of us would take these risks to help advance democracy, because that’s what he’s essentially doing,” he said.When making presentations about the U.S. media, Coon said he has learned it is important to understand the cultural differences.”What I discovered is that you do not impose American values and American standards,” he said. “I think the exchange of ideas and information is a two-way street and it benefits everybody.” Rather, Coon said he explains what works in the United States and why, hoping it will hit home. If a journalist wants specific advice or information, however, he said he will provide it.Jason Silbaugh, senior in journalism and mass communication, said stories of Coon’s international travels make his classes interesting.”He’s dealt with a lot of the ethnic issues just by visiting the different countries,” he said, “In the field of journalism, especially broadcast, having experience is more important than what you learn.”