Ashilla Putri Anggraenie, a 20-year-old student of Aquatic Resource Management at the UGM Vocational College, has shared her experience as a BBC News intern, which she did from July 17 to 28, 2023.
Ashilla was the first person with a disability to intern at the company in Jakarta. Her physical limitations, which she suffered from a motorbike accident three years ago, did not deter her from interning at the foreign news agency, especially since her interest was journalism.
“I was interested in interning at BBC News because I wanted to answer questions about how journalists work. How do they quickly obtain news?” said the woman born in Batang, Central Java, on Wednesday (16/8).
The youngest of three siblings acknowledged that during her two-week internship at BBC News, she did not encounter many obstacles as she received support from the staff at the office.
“During the internship, there were no obstacles; mobility was safe, and there were no issues. Everything was easily accessible,” Ashilla said.
The staff at BBC News Indonesia were willing to help and answer her questions about things she didn’t understand. There, Ashilla was given the role of translating news articles.
“I translate news articles, typically in English, into Indonesian. I assisted a journalist there in writing about BBC Indonesia’s online media needs related to applications for people with disabilities. I also got an email from BBC India asking me to write a news piece for their newsletter,” she said.
She recounted her experience during the internship, mentioning that every day around 10 AM, there was a meeting to discuss news and current affairs for the day.
Then, an editorial meeting was held every Tuesday, where everyone in the office gathered to discuss the progress of written news or plan activities for the upcoming week.
From the internship, she claimed to have gained experience and learned about the work of a journalist and how to translate news articles accurately.
“Since this is my first internship, interning at BBC News Indonesia will be an unforgettable life experience,” she exclaimed.
She had a message for other students with disabilities who wish to seize internship opportunities at foreign news agencies, urging them not to squander the chance, as many new experiences can be gained outside of what is learned on campus.
“My message to fellow students with disabilities who want to intern at foreign news agencies or BBC News Indonesia is to take the opportunity. No matter what major or faculty you’re from, even if journalism is irrelevant to what you studied during college, it’s okay. We can seek knowledge and experiences from anywhere and unexpected opportunities,” she advised.
“Stepping outside of your comfort zone occasionally is cool! Friends, our limits shouldn’t stop us from seeking out new experiences,” she concluded.
Author: Gusti Grehenson