RJ Malabanan | Estonian Public Broadcasting

In the weeks that I have worked as an intern in Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR), a publicly funded radio and television organisation, my experience was amazing. As an assistant to the editor, my task is to come up with a list of research articles from various online sources - topics vary from health, science, nature, wellness, and music; timely and relevant publications, and any piece of writing that they require me to do research about. My supervisor, Maarja, did not give me a task that she knows I couldn’t handle or manage. During our initial meeting, she asked me subject matters that would spark my interest, my hobbies, and my previous professional experiences. And from there, we drew the concept and constructed how the internship will be shaped. From our discussion, we eventually decided that I can write my own research article which they could potentially feature in the company’s website, which I think is the most challenging and exciting part of the whole internship.

This was something that I really appreciate the most about my placement, I was given the opportunity to have a voice in the process and a creative control on what I should do. Although I was given the liberty, there are still protocols, structure of reporting and specific format that I need to comply, which should all be in accordance to the company’s standard. Creative freedom is essential as it provides a personal touch, shows the writer’s personality and intention to the readers. But then again, there is a target audience and a certain approach which should pass in relation to the company’s standard. Therefore, a balance between creativity and compliance are both essential and should be considered. This is, what I think, my main take away in the whole process of doing my internship. Writing my own piece was a bit of a challenge, an accomplishment and a fulfilment. It was a challenge because I wouldn’t know whether the message will be fully understood by my supervisor and the readers. Furthermore, it's an accomplishment knowing that I have succumbed to the known troubles in writing (eg. writer’s block, getting out of the topic, not meeting the deadline, etc.) and managed to satisfy all my deliverables on time. And lastly, a fulfilment when people recognize your effort.

Throughout the internship, it can be considered that the final test was the written article. Knowing that my article was received well by my supervisor and the editor who’s going to publish it, gives me a form of achievement. This, in turn, became my personal reward apart from the extraordinary experience that the training brought. Finally, I think, the entire process of searching for a placement, experiencing some problems, and eventually overcoming the obstacles, made the whole internship process a completed journey.