Studying in the London for over a year now, Yi Chen is an aspiring journalist studying at London College of Communication. After attending the LCC foundation program previously, Yi Chen is now staying in Taipei due to the pandemic. In our discussion into life as a student and interests, Yi Chen mentioned her love for writing and the significance of knowing what is happening in our society. She believes that journalism is a discipline and an important one at that. The entirety of journalism includes a variation of skills from collecting, writing, researching and ultimately starting conversation; ‘it relays information to the masses in many forms’.
On the topic of interests and incorporations, Yi Chen spoke on her interest in marketing and public relations and wants to and knows it can be incorporated within journalism. She discussed social media’s relevance in the spread of news and information, Yi Chen’s wider interest in news reporting has allowed her to see this. As much as social media can be excessive and sometimes addictive for some individuals, social media could be used well in writing and opening conversations from a journalistic perspective. Chen’s has a strong intrigue in theory and perspective; ‘being a journalist is sacred, journalists are responsible for the most important work of disseminating information’. Theory is something one should focus on and it should be something that is looked at carefully so errors and misinformation can be prevented in the process of sending a message.
Studying in London was a big decision for Yi Chen, leaving home can be a struggle for many students especially with some of the uncertainties of the current pandemic. Yi Chen mentioned that facing an unknown environment and an unfamiliar language was a big step in terms of the changes. She stated during our conversation in big decisions and new settings ‘ trying to fit in the environment, be open minded at all times’, which I believed is key in any scenario especially when studying journalism. Chen’s interests are rather broad; we spoke on our shared interesting fashion and music. As well as news reporting and discussing politics, Yi Chen’s intrigues within journalism don’t stop there. She has studies political science for a year and hopes to bring that knowledge in journalism with the skills that are being currently gained.
In terms of the future, Yi Chen wants to practice more English and gain even further knowledge and skills in journalism. Internships and more experience within the industry are things that Yi Chen would like to take on. Yi Chen is a firm believer in ‘knowledge is power’, she mentioned a desire to obtain more practical skills, to build connections and network as well as any opportunity to write.