Emily Davies of Inside AUT
Three AUT University postgraduates are heading to China and Indonesia this year on Pacific Media Centre international internships.
Kim Bowden, Yvonne Brill and Corazon Miller all graduated last year as journalists with a Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Studies, and also completed AUT's postgraduate Asia-Pacific journalism course.
Associate professor David Robie, PMC director, says being selected for these internships is an incredible opportunity for practical experience in the field, and a reflection of the graduate’s ability as talented journalists.
"These internships are not only great for the personal development of our postgraduates, but also beneficial for the long-term development of New Zealand media expertise in the region."
Kim Bowden, the first to commence her internship at China Daily.com later this monthl, says it’s an experience she expects to stand her in good stead as she embarks on her journalism career.
“I believe the best journalists bring with them a complex range of experience. I am grateful for the opportunity this internship provides to broaden my own experience.”
Corazon Miller will be next to depart Auckland in July to occupy a desk at the Jakarta Globe.
“It’s an opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge about international affairs and use this to influence how I report on matters within the region,” she says.
Yvonne Brill will then head to Beijing later in the year.
“The internship is a great opportunity to spend three months living and working in a country that is so culturally different to New Zealand. I’m looking forward to seeing how a Chinese newsroom functions.”
Bei Chen, China Daily’s deputy editor for new media and who is in charge of China’s first mobile newspaper, will be joining AUT’s School of Communication Studies on exchange for the second semester as part of this programme.
Dr Robie developed the internships over six years ago with Asia New Zealand Foundation grants to support the link with the postgraduate Asia-Pacific Journalism course.
Pacific Media Watch
