Down to business in a very “Gezohem qe te takova” way

University of Nebraska journalism professor Barney McCoy is teaching and working on a documentary this month in Kosovo.

Classes began at the Kosovo Institute of Journalism and Communication yesterday. I’m teaching the “Reporting News on the Web” class with nine students who come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Gezohem qe te takova, by the way, means “Pleased to meet you” in Albanian.

All of these men and women share a common interest: They’re working towards graduate degrees in journalism. They also work fulltime jobs before arriving for class each evening. The class discussions are stimulating, as I’ve learned from having lectured in Kosovo four other times since 2006.

I consider myself lucky. I believe each visit here blesses me with vivid experiences, bittersweet memories, new friends and a better understanding of the interconnectivity of this world.

It’s clear that the Internet is a powerful distribution tool for journalists. It has reshaped and changed our global society. The costs of distribution are the price of an Internet connection and a computer. The audience is local and global. The impact is almost immediate.

While news organizations traditional business models have been washed bare by the Internet, few people dispute the Web’s reach and potential. Click on the video below to see KIJAC students in action producing news content for the Web.