Someone has lost his loved one.  He is terribly depressed.  But, as a reporter, I have to interview him.  I want to hear his story.  I am doing my job, but I know I am, at the same time, invading his privacy.

This is a scenario of an ethical dilemma a reporter is always caught in.  We have mentioned it in class many times, discussing how to handle such a situation.  But when I was actually caught in it during my internship at Friday Weekly, I realized the true meaning of  the phrase “easier said than done.”

After the MI 185 plane crash, which shocked the whole nation, I was assigned to interview the students of the three teachers from Fairfield Methodist Secondary School.  When I arrived at the school, I told myself, “Be prepared.  They (the students) may scold you for being insensitive.”  I have heard stories of people who sweared and cursed at reporters.

Fortunately, I found two students who were willing to talk to me.  They had been taught by one of the teachers.  One of them told me, “I had wanted to give her (the teacher) a greeting card for the coming Chinese New Year, but I can’t do it now.”

As she said this,  I saw tears rolling in her eyes, and I realized my eyes were wet too.  “Come on, control yourself,” a voice deep within myself was saying.  At the same time, I was praying hard the girl would not break down.  I would not know what to do if she did!  Luckily, she did not.

Well, I got my job done.  I got a touching story.  But I couldn’t help feeling bad about myself.  Wasn’t I cruel?  I almost made a 13-year-old girl cry!  But I suppose a reporter has to get used to handling such circumstances.

Of course, not all the stories I covered at Friday Weekly were so bleak.  There were touching moments such as listening to a juvenile delinquent describe how she turned over a new leaf with her mother’s help.  There were tiring moments such as standing for four hours at a getai (outdoor performances during the seventh month of the lunar year) to cover a story on children performing at getais.  There were enjoyable moments such as visiting the zoo to see how the primates’ food was prepared.  And there were frustrating moments such as waiting more than an hour for a singer who was late for the press conference.

Being a journalist has always been my dream.  And this internship has allowed me to realize my dream for six months.

At Friday Weekly, I never felt I was treated like an intern.  My duties and responsibilities were similar to those of the full-time reporters.  After getting my assignment, I would discuss with my sub-editor, Bernard Choo, how to angle the story.  Then, I would be out to chase the story, alone, most of the time, unless it was a big project that required more manpower.

Although I was an intern, Bernard had confidence in me, and handed me big projects that gave me opportunities to prove my capabilities.  And he never hesitated to lend a hand when I encountered difficulties with the assignments.

For six months, I covered stories of different nature - school affairs, current affairs, entertainment, sports.  I met people from different walks of life - students, principals, juvenile delinquents, abused children, singers, actors, sportsmen, cartoonists.  Each had his story to tell, and listening to each story was like attending a lesson.  There was something to learn from each and everyone of them.

It has definitely been a colourful, fruitful, exciting, enriching and meaningful internship.