China Daily media internships provided Pacific outreach

A commentary by David Robie discusses the former postgraduate internship programme at China Daily in Beijing, which was operated through the Pacific Media Centre at Auckland University of Technology. The programme served as a professional development platform for New Zealand journalists, offering insights into Chinese media operations and the political economy of the Asia-Pacific region.

While the collaboration provided valuable comparative journalism experience, it also drew attention regarding China Daily’s role in soft diplomacy and its outreach into the Pacific, aligned with the Belt and Road initiative. The internships, supported by the Asia NZ Foundation, allowed students to progress from subeditorial roles, described as ‘polishers’ of English reports, to assignments in feature writing and broadcasting. Since the closure of the Pacific Media Centre in 2021, such unique opportunities for New Zealand journalism students have ceased.