From August 4-8, Syracuse University professor, multimedia producer, and journalist Corey Takahashi traveled to Cameroon under the U.S. Speaker program sponsored by the American people through the United States Department of State.

During his visit, Professor Takahashi led two workshops on “Media Use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) Tools” for journalists and aspiring media professionals in Douala, the Littoral region and Limbe in the South West region.

The workshops explored several themes critical to the consumption of digital media, including audience engagement and optimizing media formats for different devices.

In his opening remarks at the workshop, U.S. Embassy Press Attaché Timothy Lewis underscored the United States’ commitment to partner with Cameroonian journalists, who like their peers in other nations, are “compelled to adapt [ICT tools] for use in their operations so they can take advantage of the opportunities these tools present to the field of journalism—opportunities which cannot be maximized without fully developed mastery of these skills by journalists.”

During the workshops, participants worked with Professor Takahashi to assess their existing body of work, developed concepts for 21st century media companies in Cameroon, and explored how to leverage new technologies such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Google for existing traditional and online media outlets.

Professor Takahashi’s visit to Cameroon through the U.S. Speaker Program supported the United States’ priority to partner with journalists to promote a free and independent press.