As an aspiring journalist focused on making her mark in the Philadelphia media market, Temple University student Natalie Koranda never thought she would have a chance to study abroad. 

“For student journalists, we rarely get to study abroad because that means that we have to give up opportunities here in the home market,” said Koranda, a senior communications major from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. “That is what I think makes this opportunity to go to Paris even more special.” 

Koranda is one of four Temple University students who will head to Paris later this week to cover stories related to the 2024 Summer Olympics. She will be joined by Hayden Winter, Rachel Williams and Maggie Przywara while an additional 10 students will stay back in Philadelphia, working to produce, direct and anchor TUTV LIVE IN PARIS. The 30-minute, student-produced live news program will air at noon on Tuesday, July 23; Thursday, July 25; and Thursday, July 30. The trip is part of a course that the students have enrolled in through the Global Opportunities (GO) program at Temple’s Klein College of Media and Communication. 

“The idea of experiential learning is at the core of what we try to do at TUTV,” said Paul Gluck, KLN ’76, associate professor and general manager of TUTV. “The opportunity to send students overseas to cover what happens at a global capital during a world-class event is exciting to us, and it’s exciting to them.” 

Rather than covering the actual Olympic Games, the students are going to work to uncover unique and insightful stories around the Olympics. They will cover life in the city, the culture of Paris, the economic impact of the Games, and hopefully even find stories that tie back to both Temple and Philadelphia. 

Essentially, the four-student group will work as a fully abroad news team, frequently connecting with students Mariam Akraz and Charly Schultz, who will be in Philadelphia serving as directors and producers for the on-campus team and facilitating the broadcasts. 

While four Temple students will be heading overseas, an additional 10 students will be stationed in Philadelphia, working to produce, direct and anchor TUTV LIVE IN PARIS. Student Mariam Akraz, shown here at right, will serve as the director of the program. (Photography by Ryan S. Brandenberg)

“By the end of this, we are all going to be very close,” said Williams, a junior journalism major from Easton, Pennsylvania. “What makes it special is that we all have unique strengths. We all have different majors, so we’re all bringing something different this. That, too, is going to help these broadcasts shine.” 

While overseas, it will be up to the students to serve as the eyes and ears on the ground, working to find compelling and consequential stories that will resonate with diverse audiences. 

For Winter, it is a challenge he relishes. 

“The concept of doing things on the fly is intimidating, but it’s also exciting,” said Winter, a senior media studies and production major from Elverson, Pennsylvania. “I am looking forward to showcasing both the character and the people of Paris while really offering a lens of what it’s like to be there during this time.” 

When the students return, a complete recap program that chronicles their time is expected to air on TUTV. 

“It really is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Przywara, a senior film and media arts major from West Grove, Pennsylvania. “There is going to be a story everywhere you look, and these are stories that we get to tell.” 

Visit templetv.net for more details and to watch the news broadcasts live. In Philadelphia, the broadcasts can also be viewed on Comcast 50 and Verizon 45.