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Frida Wallnor, visiting journalist, meets with Dr. Tudor Vlad, Director of the Cox Interntational Center. |
Swedish Visitor Learns About U.S. Media And Politics
Swedish journalist Frida Wallnor spent three days at the University of Georgia in mid-March, discussing the future of the Democratic Party following the November 2016 presidential elections and President Trump’s first year in the White House, and examining how journalism and mass communication education has been impacted by the technological revolution and by the economic crisis.
Wallnor has been an editorial writer at the Swedish business daily Dagens Industri in Stockholm since 2016, mostly covering international affairs and security policy. Previously she was a global political analyst at the Japanese investment bank Nomura International in London and Swedbank Robur Asset Management in Stockholm. Her background is in the Swedish armed forces, with a master's degree in political sciences which included six months at the Swedish Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Her program in Athens, organized by the James M. Cox Jr. Center for International Mass Communication Training and Research, was part of a six-week Transatlantic Media Network fellowship, coordinated by the Atlantic Council in Washington.
While in the Grady College, the Swedish journalist met with Dr. Janice Hume, head of the Journalism Department.
"In the last five years, our curriculum has changed dramatically,” Dr. Hume told the visitor. “We have new courses on social and digital media, and have merged what used to be in the past the Journalism and the Telecommunication Department.”
Dr. Charles Bullock, Richard B. Russell Professor of political science, told Wallnor that the dynamics of demographics seem to be an advantage to the Democrats, but that those numbers are not always relevant for vote participation.
“After winning an election, many politicians try to attract categories or groups that had not voted for them in the elections, but President Donald Trump seems not to use this tactic,” said Dr. Bullock.
Dr. Tudor Vlad, director of the Cox International Center, talked with the guest about the Center's international projects and about the impact of new communication technologies on the U.S. media.
The Swedish guest also discussed gun control and the Southern culture with Laurie Anglin, Cox International Center administrative specialist.
The Cox International Center is a unit of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia and partnered with the Atlantic Council for the visit.
“I had a lovely time and found the meetings very useful, both regarding the US political system and media landscape as well as our discussions on current topics such as gun control,” Wallnor told Dr. Vlad. “I was also fascinated to see the wider university area, including all the nice sports facilities. Athens seems like a nice place to be a student!”
