Migrant Report: A Media student’s Malta internship
Migrant Report: A Media student’s Malta internship
30/06/2015
By Leila Osterbo
As the Mediterranean migrant crisis continues, ERASMUS+ funding is helping Middlesex University students spend their summer in Malta working on the Migrant Report project. Third year BA Journalism and Media student Leila Osterbo discusses her experience.
Migrant Report has been established to create an informative website where anyone interested in human movement and the current migrant situation in Europe can turn to.
We are trying to approach the issue from a different angle to the stories dominating mainstream media. Our website emphasises areas that don't typically get covered, such as the migrants' skills and resources rather than simply focusing on their struggles. We want to try and change the way society views these people, to help create a more open and welcoming environment for migrant refugees.
Since arriving in Malta, my role as a journalist at Migrant Report has involved researching, writing, interviewing and fact checking new and informative content for the website.
I am learning so much working in this environment. Migrant Report is filled with talented people and every day I am observing how professionals from the media industry work – such as the organisation's founder Robert Young Pelton and the website's editor Mark Micallef.
The challenge is to be creative, innovative and know the right questions to ask, but the key is to dig deep down into the issue. You have to view it from a different angle to everyone else.
My degree at Middlesex has introduced me to this industry, but now I am learning how to apply this knowledge in a practical way. My time here has made me very aware of the importance of first-hand experience. It takes you out of your comfort zone and challenges the experiences you have gathered through your degree.
I know that this internship will definitely be very beneficial for me in terms of my future education too. After I graduate I will study for a Master's degree in International Politics and Human Rights, so the practical and theoretical experiences I am gaining here will certainly be put to good use. I am forever grateful that Middlesex University, ERASMUS+ and Migrant Report have given me this unique opportunity.
Photo one: The Migrant Report team, featuring students from Middlesex University and Kingston University Photo two: Middlesex University TV Production student Dale Gillett filming in Malta
Migrant Report: A Media student’s Malta internship
As the Mediterranean migrant crisis continues, ERASMUS+ funding is helping Middlesex University students spend their summer in Malta working on the Migrant Report project. Third year BA Journalism and Media student Leila Osterbo discusses her experience.
We are trying to approach the issue from a different angle to the stories dominating mainstream media. Our website emphasises areas that don't typically get covered, such as the migrants' skills and resources rather than simply focusing on their struggles. We want to try and change the way society views these people, to help create a more open and welcoming environment for migrant refugees.
Since arriving in Malta, my role as a journalist at Migrant Report has involved researching, writing, interviewing and fact checking new and informative content for the website.
I am learning so much working in this environment. Migrant Report is filled with talented people and every day I am observing how professionals from the media industry work – such as the organisation's founder Robert Young Pelton and the website's editor Mark Micallef.
The challenge is to be creative, innovative and know the right questions to ask, but the key is to dig deep down into the issue. You have to view it from a different angle to everyone else.
My degree at Middlesex has introduced me to this industry, but now I am learning how to apply this knowledge in a practical way. My time here has made me very aware of the importance of first-hand experience. It takes you out of your comfort zone and challenges the experiences you have gathered through your degree.
I know that this internship will definitely be very beneficial for me in terms of my future education too. After I graduate I will study for a Master's degree in International Politics and Human Rights, so the practical and theoretical experiences I am gaining here will certainly be put to good use. I am forever grateful that Middlesex University, ERASMUS+ and Migrant Report have given me this unique opportunity.
Photo one: The Migrant Report team, featuring students from Middlesex University and Kingston University
Photo two: Middlesex University TV Production student Dale Gillett filming in Malta
More on this story: London and Malta campuses team together to tackle migrant crisis