Maddy Croad was a participant of the Journalism Professional Practicum (JPP), in 2024. Maddy is studying at University of Canterbury.
Q: Why did you decide to undertake the Acicis internship program?
I decided to undertake the Acicis programme as it can be really hard for new grads to gain internships and experience in the media sphere! This gave an opportunity I wouldn’t have been able to access otherwise.
Q: Where did you live in Indonesia (Kos, homestay, hotel, rental etc.)? Any tips for prospective students on finding accommodation?
Kos (with other friends)! Biggest advice would be to wait until you get to Indo to find accommodation. You meet so many people and get a feel for different areas your first week there and may want to stay somewhere with others.
Q: How have you found the academic components of this program – i.e. the language classes/seminars?
They were okay. I definitely think I may not be the greatest person to answer this question as the seminars were very targeted to undergrads. I think this would’ve been hugely valuable to me as an undergraduate.
Q: What organisation are you interning with? (Explain your role and responsibilities)
Al Jazeera. Working for their English Channel with the Asia correspondence team. I was given a huge amount of free range and led my own internship it was very much whatever you put in you got out.
Q: How have you found the work culture of your host organisation? How is it different to work experience in New Zealand?
Amazing. I was surrounded by some incredibly encouraging and positive people. I pitched some pretty crazy ideas and trips that I didn’t even know were doable and was backed up the whole way!
As for differences in work in New Zealand, I found it was a lot smaller to my newsroom back home, but this also gave me the opportunity to explore and publish in different areas such as photography.
Q: What are the main skills you have learnt during your internship?
Confidence. Going up to locals, visiting villages and going in areas that were outside my comfort zone was daunting. I didn’t speak fluent or up to par Bahasa and therefore had to use a translator when doing interviews. Because of that I couldn’t read people and understand what they were telling me. By doing this so often I got to a point where I was confident to spend time with locals instead of parachuting in and out quickly. The worst thing people can say is no, and that was one of my biggest takeaways.
Q: What did you find to be the most rewarding part of this experience?
Listening. I had the opportunity to write a feature with some photo and video for a newsroom in New Zealand and as part of this I visited a remote village in Semarang. The village had experienced severe sea level rise and land sinking and meant the whole village was half underwater. I spent the whole day there and the as lucky enough to just speak to locals and listen to what their lives were like. Everyone offered food and water every time we entered a home and were so open in sharing their stories. It was the most grateful I have been to enter somewhere and be so welcomed.
Q: Were you able to learn about the Indonesian culture from this program? If yes, how was this achieved?
Yes, through language classes. It would’ve been great if these were longer however. Most of the culture I learnt was from actually speaking to locals and spending time with them. Culture isn’t really something you can learn from a book or class!
Q: How will the internship benefit or influence your future career?
In so many ways. It’s made me realise the work it actually takes to work in international media and got a huge amount of advice by so many correspondents working in the space. Gaining advice from women who were so high up in their fields as well was hugely valuable. By publishing bylines and photos it helped to add to my portfolio and connections have given me the opportunity to continue pitching or freelancing beyond my internship which is an avenue I wouldn’t have been able to go down without my time there.
Q: Would you recommend this program to your friends?
Yes, but depending on the placement. I know a lot of my friends really struggled in their time there as their placements were not up to scratch. I think that if placement organisations were vetted beforehand ti make sure they fit each student then yes. If every student was guaranteed an experience like mine then yes. But I am unsure if the programme is at that stage yet.
Q: Favourite Indonesian word/phrase:
Selandia Baru (New Zealand!)
Q: What did you get up to in your free-time?
Heaps! Each weekend we had a group of friends who would try to get out of town. Some visiting Bandung, we stayed a weekend at a farm in the middle of Bogor forests, and went to Thousand Islands and slept in a tent. We would go on a walk, even joined a gym down the road and have the odd Bintang.
Q: What surprised you about Indonesia? Any new insights?
The variance of living situations. Indonesia has such a huge wealth gap that you could be driving past a slum or speaking to someone who struggles to afford basics to the very rich. It was hugely eye opening.
