A KU student completed an internship this summer that few other American journalism students have experienced.

Andrew Greenhaw, a senior from Independence, worked in the Washington, D.C., bureau of Al Jazeera English, the Middle Eastern television network. He was an intern in the political unit, where he conducted research on the U.S. presidential candidates, prepared information for the programming directors and served as a personal assistant to anchor Ghida Fakhry.

The bureau’s chief, Will Stebbins, was a guest speaker last semester in the International Journalism class taught by Malcolm Gibson, general manager and news adviser to the University Daily Kansan student newspaper.

“The emergence of Al Jazeera is one of the most significant media events in my lifetime,” said Gibson. “It offers an important, non-Western perspective and it’s a legitimate voice in the world.”

Greenhaw wrote about Stebbins’ visit for the Kansan. As someone who had closely followed world events and international politics, Greenhaw realized that a summer spent at Al Jazeera English would be incredibly beneficial to his journalism training. He promptly e-mailed Stebbins and asked for an internship.

Greenhaw’s duties in the political unit of the network involved a lot of in-depth research. He listened in on daily conference calls with campaign advisers for presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. During the calls, reporters from around the country took notes on the candidates’ schedules and asked questions. Greenhaw sent his notes to planning department personnel so they could decide which stories the network should pursue.

Greenhaw also assisted the bureau’s anchorwoman, Fakhry. He helped her prepare for interviews by conducting background research and suggesting questions. Greenhaw said he particularly advised her on issues regarding the U.S. economy, which Greenhaw had covered at the Kansan.

Greenhaw said he has encountered some skepticism regarding his internship but it did not deter him from pursuing it.