Michelle Gallace's India study tour

One day, one story

The most rewarding experience of the tour was when I had to complete a story on a small Indian village in one day. Usually I plan my stories to minimise unpredictability but before stepping into the village, I realised I was more excited than nervous – a sign I was growing confidence.

As soon as the bus arrived and I saw cows with painted blue horns, I knew what I wanted to write about – a welcome change for someone who’s usually very indecisive. This experience was invaluable as it replicated the routines of a foreign correspondent; working to meet tight deadlines; tackling language and cultural barriers; and dealing with the unexpected.

I was excited to travel to a country with such cultural, religious and linguistic diversity as India. I was particularly interested in exploring the numerous religious and spiritual traditions that make India’s past and present so rich and complex

Working with the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media (IIJNM)

I collaborated with Madhuvanthi, one of the school’s journalism students, on an article about African students in Bangalore. Her presence as an Indian – and mine as a white Australian – created an interesting dynamic when interviewing an African student named Paschal.

Pashchal’s account of his experiences of racism and hardship in India were difficult to hear, especially for Madhuvanthi as she felt he was talking directly to her. Through this I was given an insight into the tensions between the African and Indian communities.

This highlighted the need to handle the topic sensitively in my article, finding a delicate balance between capturing the opinions of the African community while also portraying Indian perspectives, without creating a simplistic narrative of Indian racists and African victims.

Tackling social issues

Working on my story about African students provided some of the most challenging experiences of the study tour. Many of the Africans I interviewed told me confronting stories of social and political tumult in their home countries, their financial struggles in India, worrying constantly about the safety of their relatives back home, and facing racism.

The desperation, anger and perseverance of the people I spoke to gave me a deep sense of responsibility to tell their stories respectfully and accurately. Through the tour I gained a valuable insight into the challenges of working on stories about complicated, sensitive social topics in a foreign context.

The Foreign Correspondent study tour was an invaluable opportunity for me to gain experience reporting in another country for the first time

Reflecting on the tour

Through the tour I have a clearer idea of the skills I need to improve to become a better journalist. In particular; finishing articles quickly to meet tight deadlines; learning to improvise and deal with the unexpected; and improve my photography, video and audio skills.

I’ve always wanted to travel and learn about different societies but never had the courage to do so. Now I have the confidence to visit other countries I’ve dreamed of seeing for years. For someone who’s always been painfully shy, my dream of practicing journalism internationally used to seem ridiculous, now it seems within my reach.