Thanks to a generous grant from the Freeman Foundation, LinkAsia will offer paid internships beginning Summer 2013 and into the 2013-2014 academic year. Students selected to serve as interns will also serve as LinkAsia ambassadors when they return to their college campuses. Please feel free to circulate this posting through your networks. We will be accepting submissions through Monday, March 25th, 2013.
 
LinkAsia Student Ambassadors is a year-long internship program that provides undergraduate and graduate students in Asian Studies the opportunity to apply their academic learning in a professional journalistic setting. The program provides year-long mentorship, leadership development, journalism training, and hands-on experience creating a dynamic weekly television series. Offered to seven college students each year, the program includes a two-day intensive workshop in San Francisco, followed by a ten-week paid summer internship at LinkAsia’s San Francisco and Washington DC offices. Following this summer experience, LinkAsia Student Ambassadors will return to their individual campuses to engage their communities around Asia through the content of LinkAsia.
 
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LinkAsia Student Ambassador
Job Description and Qualifications
 
KCETLink is looking for qualified students to become LinkAsia Student Ambassadors for the summer of 2013 and the 2013-2014 academic year. This is a paid internship opportunity, although students have the option to waive payment.
 
About KCETLink
Link TV uses media and the power of stories to engage, inform and inspire its audiences to participate in transformational, sustainable change on issues of global importance. Link TV is operated by KCETLink, the new independent public transmedia organization formed by the merger between KCET and Link Media in December 2012. KCETLink is a viewer-supported 501c(3) organization. For more information please visit www.LinkTV.org or www.KCET.org.
 
About LinkAsia
From Beijing to Tokyo, from Seoul to New Delhi and beyond, LinkAsia takes viewers into media about Asia -- from Asia -- offering unfiltered insights into one of the most diverse, fast-paced regions of the globe. Each week, LinkAsia brings you a unique half-hour program that combines everything from the official state news from Asia's top television networks to the trends and conversations rising through Asia's blogs and social media. Viewers can access LinkAsia on LinkTV (DIRECT ch 375/DISH ch 9410), on KCET in Los Angeles, on public television’s WORLD Channel, and online at www.LinkAsia.org.
 
Job Description
Ambassadors will spend 10 weeks working at KCETLink’s San Francisco office and in the LinkAsia studio. The internship will begin on June 10, kicking off with a 2-day workshop that will include orientation, grassroots leadership training, shadowing staff, guest speakers and technical instruction. Ambassadors will receive the unique opportunity to work in editorial selection, translation, production, script writing, and creating blogs and pieces for broadcast during their 10-week tenure in San Francisco. After the 10 week internship, Ambassadors will go back to their campuses and work to create awareness of LinkAsia. As this is a YEAR-LONG commitment, Ambassadors will be provided with mentorship from a LinkAsia staff member, who will check in with them throughout the year, and help them craft their own grassroots efforts to raise awareness about LinkAsia on their campus. Examples include: organizing a guest speaker to visit their campus, reposting LinkAsia materials on social media. Upon completion of the year-long program, Ambassadors will receive an additional stipend.

Qualifications
- Bilingual strongly preferred (English and an Asian language)
- Must be able to travel to San Francisco and arrange housing independently.
- Must be able to make a year-long commitment (Summer 2013 and Academic Year 2013-2014).
- Freeman Scholars highly encouraged to apply, Non-Freeman Scholars and bilingual Asian language speakers also welcome.

How to Apply
Please submit your resume and cover letter explaining why you want to be a LinkAsia Student Ambassador toLinkAsiaAmbassador@linktv.org. Please also include a self-made video explaining in both English and primary Asian language the reasons for your interest in this internship. Please post to YouTube or other video hosting site and provide a link in your cover letter. Submission deadline: Monday, March 25th, 2013.

 

FAQs

Q: What exactly will I be doing as an intern for LinkAsia?

A: Our interns make valuable contributions to the show every day. They monitor and translate social media from China and Japan, they blog about issues that matter to them, and they occasionally write and shoot their own contributor pieces covering top stories in Asia. Our LinkAsia Ambassadors will also have an opportunity to work on their journalism skills. And we're hoping to provide resources that will help selected candidates prepare for their career. Here are a few examples of contributions from our current interns:

Yohei, our intern from Osaka, Japan, had a personal connection to LinkAsia's coverage of a global soccer match-fixing scandal linked back to Asia. He offered his own take on the scandal from the point of view of a Gamba Osaka fan.

And Jing, from Beijing, China, founded the blog Ministry of Tofu, and is now learning the ropes of broadcast and online video production at LinkAsia. Last year she was blogging about the criticisms of Chinese lawmakers photographed flaunting expensive high fashion products during China's People's Congress. This year the People's Congress tried to scale back on spending, and Jing advanced to making a video about the changes.

Our LinkAsia Ambassadors will also have an opportunity to work on their journalism skills. And we're hoping to provide resources that will help selected candidates prepare for their career.

Q: I don't speak an Asian language. Does this automatically disqualify me from being selected to be a LinkAsia Ambassador?

A: No! We are considering all applicants for LinkAsia Ambassador. Knowing whether or not someone speaks an Asian language helps us match applicants to projects. For example, someone who is fluent in written and spoken Mandarin can help us research stories on Sina Weibo, or someone who is fluent in Thai can help us translate Tweets from Thailand. However, someone who is an English speaker only might be matched with post-production, outreach, or collaborating with a non-native English speaker on projects.

Q: What exactly will I be expected to do for LinkAsia once I return to campus in the fall?

A: Most of our LinkAsia interns leave San Francisco with a deeper understanding of how media works. And they kind of get the hang of how to put together their own stories. They also begin to understand how LinkAsia can be a resource for people who are studying Asia. So, during their 10 weeks in San Francisco LinkAsia Ambassadors will develop their own unique plan for continuing to work with LinkAsia once they head back to school. We're open to ideas. You may want to continue writing blogs and find a way to repost your stories on a university news site. Or maybe you're more interested in planning events and want to see someone who was a guest on our show give a talk on campus. We've also worked with professors and classes as mentors remotely, answering any questions students have about what goes into creating an international news program. As part of the terms of the grant, we will expect you to fulfill this portion of your commitment, but it may look different for each ambassador.

Q: I've never made a video introduction before. What exactly do you want us to post on YouTube?

A: The LinkAsia Team uses applications like Skype and Google Hangout quite a bit to talk with show guests and contributors. Most team members are also comfortable editing video content for web bulletins for the Link TV News App, or for the weekly episodes of LinkAsia. We're asking for video introductions to test your ability to be on camera and produce your own content. Keep your introductions simple, and tell us a bit about yourself. Feel free to get some help from your tech savvy friends who can help you finish and post the video. Use your mobile phone, camcorder, or your webcam to shoot your video. Sites like YouTube and Vimeo have very in depth help sections if you get stuck

(LinkAsia: November 30, 2012)
Yul Kwon:
In New Delhi, hundreds of Tibetans protested against Chinese policies that they say drove people to self-immolate. Here's a report from Japanese broadcaster, NHK.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: November 28, 2012

Reporter:
Tibetan people are protesting in New Delhi to show their solidarity with the self-immolators. Four hundred exiles marched, calling for "freedom for Tibet!" and burning a Chinese flag.

Demonstrator:
You can't talk about a free Tibet, you can't talk about religion. And you can't, you know, say anything against the government.

Reporter:
The Tibetan government-in-exile says the situation is desperate in Chinese provinces, including Qinghai, that are home to large numbers of Tibetans. It says 72 Tibetans have set fire to themselves this year. Sixty of them died.

The Chinese government claims the Dalai Lama encourages their actions. China and the Dalai Lama have held negotiations since 2002.The Dalai Lama demands autonomy for Tibet except for military and diplomatic issues. But China's position has not moved. No official talks have taken place since January 2010.

China's leadership transition began this month. Tibetan leaders hope Wednesday's demonstration will add pressure on those taking power in Beijing to return to the negotiating table.

(LinkAsia: November 30, 2012)
Yul Kwon:
Activists fighting for safe working conditions in Asia are pleading with P. Diddy, the rapper and entertainment mogul, to improve factory conditions in Bangladesh. This follows a horrific fire in a garment factory in the capital, Dhaka last weekend. P. Diddy's clothing company was one of several international brands that purchased from the factory. Meanwhile, police have arrested three managers of the Tarzeen Fashion factory and may charge them with negligence. Here's NHK with a report.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: November 28, 2012

Reporter:
The worst garment factory blaze in the history of Bangladesh erupted on Saturday. At least 112 people died and more than 150 were injured. Survivors apparently told police that factory managers prevented them from leaving the multistory building when a fire alarm went off.

Bangladesh has about 4,500 garment factories. It is the world's second biggest exporter of clothing after China. Manufacturers have been moving operations to the country in recent years looking for lower costs.

On Wednesday, thousands of workers took to the streets in a suburb of Dhaka. Reuters says at least 20 protesters were injured in clashes with police. Working conditions in Bangladesh are notoriously bad and safety laws are weak. Global brands that rely on cheap labor are under renewed pressure following the tragedy.

(LinkAsia: November 16, 2012)
Yul Kwon:
Moving now to South Asia, where the shooting of a Pakistani teenage girl last month shocked the world. Malala Yousufzai was badly wounded by militants opposed to schooling for girls. NHK has this report on the problems faced by women seeking education in Pakistan.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: November 12, 2012

Reporter:
Sixteen year old Malala Yousufzai was shot in the head last month by the Taliban movement of Pakistan. The radical Islamic group said girls have no right to education. The teenager is currently in Britain receiving treatment in hospital. One month after the attack Malala's school remains under tight security from the Pakistani military. Two girls who were with Malala and were also shot that day describe what happened. Shadziya and another Kainat have returned to school. They were traumatized by the incident. But decided to come back to carry on Malala's fight for education. People around the world have praised Malala's courage. On Friday Gordon Brown, the UN Special Envoy on Education and the former British Prime Minister gave his support to her campaign for female education in a speech in Islamabad.

Gordon Brown:
We in the international community want to say to you today that we will support you in your determination that no girl should be prevented from going to school out of fear.

Reporter:
Even after Malala's shooting six schools have been blown up by militants. The attacks are believed to be the work of Pakistani Taliban. Authorities said several hundred fifty one schools were attacked by extremists in the past ten years including 233 that were almost destroyed. But Islamic extremism is not the only reason why many Pakistani girls are denied an education. Poverty is another major problem that needs to be addressed. Malala's shooting has exposed the challenges faced by the Pakistani government. It's under renewed pressure to crack down on extremism and take steps to help children of poor families get an education.

Hideki Yui, NHK World, Islamabad.

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Yul Kwon:
Pakistan has announced it will provide a small subsidy – the equivalent of about two dollars a month - to families for every child enrolled in primary school.

Myanmar's Rohingya population has been suffering greatly since sectarian violence broke out in the state of Rakhine, also known as Arakan, in June. The riots began with the alleged rape and murder of an ethnic Rakhine girl by men who were reportedly Muslim, triggering a backlash by Rakhine's Buddhist majority on the Rohingya, in the form of massacres and arson attacks on homes, mosques, and businesses.

Official reports from Myanmar's government have kept the death toll at about 80 since June, but estimates from rights groups say that hundreds, if not tens of thousands, have been killed, and the UNHCR estimates that 80,000 have been displaced, either internally or as refugees to Bangladesh and other countries.

Link TV's LinkAsia has covered the developments concerning the Rohingya since the unrest in June, but the plight of the Rohingyas has also garnered much attention in the Middle East, namely because the group suffering from persecution is historically Muslim. And although the violence in Rakhine State was targeted at Rohingyas, it was also directed towards Muslims in general.

Mosaic has focused on the Middle Eastern and Muslim angles of the conflict, such as Bangladesh's rejection of Rohingya refugees, protests by Iranian students in front of the UN office in Tehran, and the many demonstrations in Indonesia, where Muslim activists in Jakarta have called for Myanmar's suspension from ASEAN, the expulsion of the Myanmar ambassador from Jakarta, and more international action on the issue.

The Rohingyas have been considered foreigners in Myanmar for decades. In 1982, the government passed a law that effectively rendered them stateless. Myanmar considers the ethnic group of 800,000 to be British colonial-era illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, calling them "Bengali Muslims" in official releases. However, Bangladesh, a majority Muslim country itself, considers the Rohingyas to be Burmese, and has sent boatloads of refugees back to Myanmar, citing a dearth of resources. Bangladesh has also prevented humanitarian aid groups from continuing to work with the Rohingyas, fearing that the provisions would draw more refugees to the already-impoverished country.

Two of ASEAN's largest Muslim-majority countries, Indonesia and Malaysia, have offered to directly assist the Rohingyas. Indonesia, which boasts the largest Muslim population in the world, has also vowed to raise the topic of the Rohingya at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's next summit in Mecca next week. Saudi Arabia, which hosts the OIC and reportedly has a Rohingya population of hundreds of thousands, recently condemned Myanmar for what it called the Rohingyas' "ethnic cleansing," and the OIC's Turkish chief, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, has followed suit.

Unfortunately, countries and organizations willing to help are finding the refugees difficult to reach. Myanmar and Bangladesh have both restricted aid to their Rohingya populations, leaving the displaced people to fend for themselves. Some Burmese groups have skirted the issue by collecting money for the Rakhine "fire victims," without mentioning the sectarian violence that led to the fires. However, with a severe dearth of food and medical services, Rohingya refugees and internally displaced persons are currently struggling to survive. This scene is sadly all too similar to the persecution they have suffered for years, with a similar lack of international empathy.

Image: Amena Akter, a Rohingya from Myanmar cries as she holds her six-day old son, Sangram in the office of the Bangladesh Coast Guard in Teknaf June 19, 2012: REUTERS/Andrew Biraj

(LinkAsia: August 3, 2012)
Yul Kwon:
In India, two massive blackouts left 600 million people – half of India’s population and about twice the number of people in the United States – without power for two consecutive days. And as Japanese broadcaster NHK reports, the government is being blamed.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: July 31, 2012

Rumio Sugaya, NHK World Reporter:
Indian power grids collapsed suddenly on Tuesday afternoon. Total 20 states and union territories in the north and east of the countries are affected. Rail and subway services ground to a halt, causing chaos as travelers tried to continue their journeys by bus. Concerns are mounting about patients in hospitals that don’t have generators. Minister of Power Sushil Kumar Shinde says the authorities are likely to restart idled hydropower stations as a solution. India faces a chronic power deficit. The nation’s infrastructure can’t keep up with rising demand. This week’s failures are said to be the worst in a decade.

Subway Passenger:
This is the failure of government policy, properly. Because they have no any second measurable solution that if anyone, if suddenly this problem will come to pass, what will be the quick solution for this.

Rumio Sugaya, NHK World Reporter:
The massive blackouts have exposed the venerability of India’s power grid. Voices questioning the responsibility of the government seem likely to grow.