Cambodia trip the 'ultimate' work experience for journalism student

By HoldtheFrontPage staff

A journalism student from the University of Sheffield has spent a week in Cambodia on the ultimate work experience trip.

Kirstie Kinrade won the trip after entering a writing contest run by the charity World Vision and Bliss magazine.

During the week there she spent time investigating the country's child sex trafficking problem.

She interviewed girls who had been rescued after being sold to brothels, and went out at night to meet street children who are part of a scheme run by World Vision to teach them life skills.

She also travelled to a school where the older children volunteered to teach the younger pupils how to avoid being tricked into the sex trade.

She was accompanied on the trip by officials from World Vision and a journalist from Bliss, and Kirstie's diary from the trip has now been published in the current edition of the magazine.

A futher real-life feature is also due to be published in next month's issue.

Kirstie, (21), told holdthefrontpage: "The trip was shocking and upsetting at times, but it was a really good experience - the best work experience I could ask for.

"Seeing my work in Bliss is a bit strange.

"I've had stuff published in local papers but it is strange to see it in a national magazine. But it is good for my CV."

She added: "I learned how to interview vulnerable people, and how to conduct interviews through a translator.

"I was glad because the team I was with allowed me to do my own thing and to interview people by myself, which has really boosted both my confidence and my shorthand speed!

"As well as doing a diary and a feature article for Bliss magazine I also kept an audio diary for BBC radio and a video diary for Sky TV."

Kirstie, who is a final-year student on the BA Journalism course, won the trip after entering a contest to write 150 words about a 'world issue that concerns you'. She wrote about the media, and how it fails to report on things that don't affect the western world.