"
I met with the head of the journalism union there, and he told me, 'I have a mass communication degree that did me no good whatsoever,'" Herdy says. As such, Pakistani journalists have been given precious little direction when it comes to tackling what Herdy considers to be extremely important issues -- "questions like, 'What makes something newsworthy? What are your responsibilities as a journalist? What are the ethical boundaries? Should you give your opinions?' And news is very opinionated there. People on TV news will just wax on and on about what they think."
Seeing this anarchic atmosphere firsthand made Herdy realize how desperately Pakistani media members need at least an introductory grounding in journalism basics, and she's determined to help give it to them. She identified numerous locations where she'd like to stage workshops, with the idea of returning in January either on her own or with other journalists like Moscou to begin teaching in earnest. And she's confident her pupils will be receptive.
"They kept saying to me, 'We need help over here. We need change,'" Herdy notes.