Massey journalism graduate on fulfillment and frustration in Cambodia

Marika Hill is a Massey University journalism graduate who worked at the Phnom Penh Post on Asia:NZ-supported internship. This is the account of her experience in Cambodia in June and July 2009.

During my time at the Phnom Penh Post I wrote articles under the business, lifestyle and news sections. I had approximately 20 stories published.

I took on major news stories within Cambodia. For example, I wrote articles on a Cambodian Minister threatening WWF over an allegedly inaccurate report. I spoke to the Government Minister and WWF in Switzerland and Laos for this article and worked on a follow up story.

I also wrote a number of lifestyle articles on things such as the local food, art exhibitions and the NGO work that goes on in Cambodia.

I gained a number of contacts in Cambodia and internationally. One of the most interesting parts of working in Cambodia was the access journalists get to company directors and government officials. In New Zealand you often come up against press releases and public relations staff. In Cambodia you can call directly to many officials and company directors.

I got to know a number government ministers, business leaders and experts in real estate, publishing and financial markets. I also gained contacts in WWF.

I attended about six days of the Khmer Rouge trial while I was stationed in Phnom Penh. The Phnom Penh Post already had a court reporter assigned to the trial of former Khmer Rouge leader Duch, so I couldn't report for their newspaper.

Just going along to the trials and seeing the testimony of guards and former victims gave me a greater understanding of the Khmer Rouge and the atrocities they committed in the 1970s. I also revisited S-21 prison and read a number of books on the subject while in Cambodia.

Living, working and travelling in Cambodia provided a great insight into the Cambodian culture. I loved meeting with local people or going out with the Khmer reporters. Older ex-pats also had some interesting stories to tell about reporting in Cambodia during the civil war.

I had the opportunity to chat to people like Al Rockoff, the famous war photographer, as well as veteran reporters from the New York Times and Time magazine.

I was also lucky to become good friends with a Vietnamese intern who invited me to spend a weekend with her family in Saigon. Her family was very welcoming and showed me incredibly Vietnamese hospitality. It was one of the highlights of my trip.

A challenge of my stint in Cambodia was the corruption and fear within the country. Many people, such as NGOs, were fearful about criticising the government publicly. This made me aware that although Cambodia has significant freedom of speech compared to other Asian countries, there is widespread self-censorship. Bribery is also common. At one press conference I was given US$20 by the head of public relations (which I returned). Because it’s so widespread, it goes unreported and there seems to be a complacency about it. I found this frustrating.

I faced challenges at the Phnom Penh Post, including language barriers and self censorship.  However, the incredible times outweighed any negativity from the experience. The experience was invaluable in training me to be a better-rounded journalist. I also feel lucky to have taken away a greater understanding and love for South East Asia. I really appreciated my time in Cambodia and hope to report from Asia again.

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Last updated: 17 September 2010
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