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When Elira Kanga enrolled at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication several years ago, she was prepared to expand her horizons in journalism and pursue opportunities she would never have found in Albania.
But her experience at the Cronkite School as a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow left such an indelible impression that she was inspired to return after completing her fellowship.
Kanga is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the Cronkite School, with a focus on political and health communication and the impact of disinformation in both fields.
“I am interested in increasing media literacy through quality journalism as well as the empowerment of the general public,” she said.
Kanga returned to Cronkite after serving in the Humphrey Fellowship. The fellowship is a 10-month program designed to bring seasoned international mid-career professionals to the United States to learn leadership and build professional connections. Kanga joined the Humphrey Fellowship as part of the 2021-22 academic year after working as a journalist and media project manager in his home country for more than a decade.
She previously worked as a reporter for the BBC in Albanian, the Albanian Telegraph Agency and Gazeta Sikiputare before moving to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe as a media project manager.
Kanga said she applied for the Humphrey Fellowship because she wanted to address some of the challenges facing journalists in her country, including freedom of the press and poor working conditions.
“At that point, I had been a journalist for 11 years and worked alongside 10 other media developers. It was a great experience, but it also helped me iron out my shortcomings,” she said.
As a Humphrey Fellow, her research focused on strategic communications, drawing on her previous experience in journalism and management. Some of the fellows in her program already had Ph.D.s and encouraged Kanga to pursue one.
Kanga was also inspired by one of the Cronkite professors.
“She told us, ‘You have four careers, don’t stop at the first or second one.’ That really resonated with me because it’s important to explore.” she said.
Kanga enjoys teaching journalism, which allows her to incorporate her reporting and editing experience. But as she continues her studies and advances to the next stage of her career, she also hopes to pursue opportunities in her research.
“I am here because I believe that combining education and research in areas that really interest me – journalism, communications, misinformation and disinformation – will shape who I am in the future. Because there are,” she said.
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