Ralph J. Begleiter
Distinguished Journalist in Residence
Rosenberg Professor of Communication

Email address
ralph.begleiter@udel.edu

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Ralph Begleiter brings more than 30 years of broadcast journalism experience to the University of Delaware, where he is an award-winning instructor in communication, journalism, and political science. During two decades as CNN’s “world affairs correspondent,” Begleiter was the network’s most widely-traveled reporter. He has worked in some 97 countries on all 7 continents. He continues to travel with UD students, and conducting media workshops in several countries under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State. Begleiter teaches undergraduate courses in “Broadcast News,” “History of TV News Documentary,” “Broadcast News Documentary,” “Global Media & International Politics,” and special courses such as a study abroad program in Antarctica and South America in photojournalism and geopolitics (2003, 2005), in Turkey (2008) studying the “Geopolitics of the Mediterranean,” and “Road to the Presidency” during election years. He also directs the university’s “Global Agenda” public speaker program, and in 2006 and 2009 his “Global Agenda” class met weekly by videoconference with students in the Middle East to discuss cross-cultural and media issues. In 2002 he took UD students to Cuba for the 40th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

At CNN during the 1980’s and 1990’s, he covered U.S. diplomacy, interviewed countless world leaders, hosted a global public affairs show, and co-anchored CNN’s “International Hour.” In 1998, Begleiter wrote and anchored a 24-part series on the Cold War. He covered historic events at the end of the 20th century, including virtually every high-level Soviet/Russian-American meeting; the Persian Gulf Crisis in 1990-91; Middle East Peace efforts; and many UN and NATO summit meetings. Since coming to UD, he has hosted the Foreign Policy Association’s annual “Great Decisions” television discussion series, an international affairs program on Public Broadcasting System stations. in 1994,he received the Weintal Prize from Georgetown University’s Graduate School of Foreign Service, one of diplomatic reporting’s highest honors. In 2008, the Delaware Press Association named him “Communicator of Achievement.” In 2009, he earned the University of Delaware’s College of Arts & Sciences “Excellence in Teaching” award.
He holds an Honors B.A. in political science from Brown University, an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University, and is a member of the National Honor Society, Phi Beta Kappa.

Teaching philosophy

My teaching centers around the intersection of communication, politics and journalism, with the practical goal of helping students become savvy consumers and observers of their news and public affairs information environment, as well as creators of intelligent and provocative public affairs programming. I focus on images we create of our nation and impressions we form abroad, as well as the relationship among news media, government and business.

Courses regularly taught

COMM/POSC444: Global Agenda

COMM427: Broadcast News

COMM/POSC425: Broadcast News Documentary

COMM/POSC425: Global Media & International Politics

COMM/POSC/ENGL467: Road to the Presidency

Study Abroad (Antarctica, Turkey)

COMM425: Raiding the Lost Ark: History of TV News Documentary

Postal address
Communication Department
University of Delaware
250 Pearson Hall
Newark, DE 19716

Office phone
302-831-2687

Department office phone
302-831-8041

Department Fax
302-831-1892