California Division Represents Society at China's First Journalist Bootcamp

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Knight Fellowship Program, which works to improve health and medical reporting worldwide, conducted a journalist “boot camp” October 14-16 in Beijing, China, at Xinhua University. A co-sponsor of the event, Xinhua University is a leading Chinese university with a robust journalism program. The “boot camp” was designed to raise public awareness by providing information on key public health issues to journalists from across China. Approximately 40 health care and general media Chinese journalists attended presentations from leading health care professionals employed at the World Health Organization, the CDC, the China CDC, the China Anti-Cancer Association, and the American Cancer Society. Keynote speakers included Dr. Christy Russell, a California Division volunteer and associate professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Southern California, and the Chinese Minister of Health, who addressed cancer and tobacco control efforts in China. This unique event marked the launch of the CDC initiative to reach global health journalists in key regions of the world and laid the groundwork for the Society to explore the potential of future journalist “boot camps.”