ACFJ Alumni Homecoming

I am officially done! Graduated! Yes!

I am proud to be an alumni of the Asian Center for Journalism! The first and so far only German student to take up her master's degree there. My first homecoming was a great experience. I got to know most of my batch-mates and teachers who, up until now, I only knew by name or as an icon during our online chats.

Studying online was truly a challenge. The lack of face to face interaction, to exchange thoughts and ideas, made some of the assignments quite a lonely task.

To use new media as a tool to share each other’s knowledge across borders was, on the other hand, a great experience. Who would have thought I'd be discussing press freedom, freedom of expression, media law, libel suits, and sensitive issues like reporting about minority groups and religion in real time with journalists from all over Asia?

I think I enjoyed the privilege to have had the opportunity to not just learn from their vast experiences covering different beats, but also to have gotten a glimpse of what their lives as working journalists are like.

The most memorable incident was that of one of my Indian classmates. He was late for our online chat session so we started our discussion without him. When he finally logged on he apologized for being late... his apartment had been raid, his research notes and computer taken away... The more I was happy to meet him in person, to be able to put a face behind such a story!

The past three years have been mind broadening beyond mastering the technical skills of journalism. Another invaluable experience!