Foreign correspondent
1 Sep 2008
“My craft has the power to bring about change and it’s flexible – I can use it anywhere,” says Angela Dewan who recently completed a Graduate Diploma in Journalism at UTS. Having made the professional sea change to Indonesia for a media internship and currently working as a sub-editor and journalist in Jakarta, Dewan’s words ring true.
After completing the Australian Consortium for In-Country Indonesian Studies (ACICIS) program, a semester-long course comprised of Indonesian studies and internships offered through Indonesian partner universities, Dewan says her move to Indonesia was as much for professional reasons as personal ones.
“I really felt like a challenge. I was feeling stuck in a rut at home and wanted to go somewhere challenging and inspiring, so I applied for the ACICIS program and, luckily, was accepted.
“The internship part of the program was really interesting. I was [placed] at The Jakarta Post with four other interns. In that time, I wrote five stories for the paper. It can be tricky getting your work out there and you have to start from square one with making contacts. So it was exciting walking into some official’s office in a completely foreign country and asking them serious questions. It was really rewarding.”
Accompanying Dewan on the ACICIS program were nine other UTS students, UTS alumnus and Sydney Morning Herald journalist Sunanda Creagh and Australian Centre for Independent Journalism (ACIJ) research associate and Walkley Award-winning journalist Louise Williams.
As the project officer for the ACICIS program, Williams is responsible for the academic and language components of the course, selecting and placing students in their media internships. She also acts as mentor, accompanying students to Indonesia for the duration of the program.
Williams says the in-country program is an amazing educational experience and offers opportunities for budding journalists.
“It’s a competitive entry course open to students all over Australia and New Zealand, plus several European universities. So the students who get in are high achievers who have the additional skills needed to work in another culture,” says Williams.
Graduating with an arts degree and a music diploma before moving to study journalism at UTS, Dewan says she was drawn to the variety and drive of news reportage.
“I realised journalism could combine a lot of the things I loved. It’s a great profession because you can keep learning about different things all the time. Journalism has the power to bring about change, which is exciting. There’s a lot of corruption and exploitation happening everywhere and it’s a journalist’s job to find out what’s going on. People have a right to know.”
Out of the subjects Dewan undertook while studying at UTS, she says the most satisfying were those that challenged her.
“Investigative Journalism was my favourite because it really tested my abilities. It was a lot of work, but the most rewarding. I also liked studying Media Law because we got to discuss freedom of expression, censorship and vilification. I’m mostly interested in social issues and politics, but I also like writing about travel and the arts.
“I’ve been really fortunate to have some great teachers who are also inspiring journalists. I’m passionate about exposing the truth and encouraging others to bring about change. I love how journalism sparks discussion and debate, which are essential to any democracy. I also enjoy how each day can bring something different.”
Reflecting on the lessons learnt and her decision to carry her craft across the Pacific, Dewan says working in a foreign country has shown her how portable – and achievable – journalism is.
“Confidence was the most important thing I took away from the internship. I now realise, so long as you have a good understanding of the culture, you can use journalistic skills anywhere in the world.”
Global Exchange
Studying in a foreign country is an exciting way to gain intercultural knowledge, skills and experience. UTS International Exchange is an opportunity for students to gain an international perspective on their degrees and careers. For more information about overseas study opportunities and to register for the upcoming Exchange Information Session, visit www.uts.edu.au/international
Steph Liew and Tess Bennett
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Photographer (A Dewan): Unknown
Photographer (Indonesia): Izanda Ford
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