Reporting Taiwan: Lessons from a Kiwi Intern at TaiwanPlus

Touching down in Taipei, I step onto the metro into an overwhelming but exhilarating new world of sights, sounds, and smells. After dropping my bags at my new apartment, my roommate for the next three months takes me straight to Ba Xian Grill, a packed rooftop where hot stir-fry dishes rise through the steam of the downstairs kitchen. Sitting on crates, we feast on oyster mushrooms, salty tofu, and Taiwanese basil. It's the first of many memorable dining experiences.

Three days after arriving, I start at TaiwanPlus and observe the newsroom’s rhythm. There’s a daily 10am meeting where reporters pitch and pick up stories before the 2pm and 6pm news shows go live, playing on TVs mounted on the wall. I begin by writing TV anchor scripts on global news events.

Taiwan is the first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage, and I pitch to cover its six-year anniversary during my internship. Image supplied/amc

In my first month, a TaiwanPlus editor asks if I’d like to attend a press conference for visiting New Zealand parliamentarians. I agree. Rows of journalists balance camcorders and notebooks as the MPs praise Taiwan’s food and float opportunities for collaboration. But with Taiwan at the centre of major geopolitical tension, local reporters seize the chance to ask about security. A translator conveys their questions: Why is New Zealand increasing its defence spending this year, and what do they think of China’s recent live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait? I’m thrilled and nervous to have secured an exclusive interview with them and Taiwan’s representative to New Zealand, Joanne Ou, asking her about policy consistency between Wellington and Taipei.

Taiwan is the first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage, and I pitch to cover its six-year anniversary during my internship. One evening, I visit the office of an LGBTQ+ organisation to ask if they’d be willing to talk. Their manager, Sean, generously shares his perspective. In two decades of activism, he has watched Taiwan’s rainbow community grow immensely. Yet, he adds, despite being Asia’s leader on queer rights, stigma persists in daily life. It’s a privilege to work with reporter Reece on this piece and learn from his oversight.

The story also includes the voice of New Zealander-turned-Taipei resident Nick van Haldereen, who talks about why he moved to Taiwan. He now works as a drag queen and is married to his Taiwanese partner, Henry.

As a foreigner, my features and stories come from a mix of observation and research (like the story on Taiwan’s fascination with Australia’s working holiday visa, sparked by conversations with young people), New Zealand connections (hearing of the 99-year-old athlete at an Anzac Day service, or later, reporting on Matariki celebrations), and editor suggestions (like World Bike Day). To learn more about the broadcasting craft, I turn around multiple wire packages on Asian news and culture.

My features and stories come from a mix of observation and research - like the World Bike Day. Image supplied/amc

A highlight is profiling New Zealand athlete Allan Martin, competing in Taiwan for the World Masters Games. He’s 99, cracking jokes, and looking sharp as he shares plans to compete again in Australia at the end of the year. I leave feeling inspired.

Working in a newsroom close to global events never stops being electric. Updates on Taiwan-China tensions come almost daily. In April, business reporters unpack the ripple effects of Trump’s tariffs on Taiwan’s economy. Later, a Taiwanese student at Harvard explains how the international student ban will affect her—one story representing thousands more.

This role encouraged me to work with a more international lens. In my previous jobs, “region” meant Otago, Canterbury, or Wellington. Here, it meant the Asia-Pacific. I began leaning into cross-country and people-to-people ties to build stories.

I’ve always been interested in public broadcasters, and I chose TaiwanPlus for the challenge: to shift from print and online news into broadcast. Appearing on camera, writing tighter, scripting to visuals, weaving in natural sound, and adding soundbites—it’s a different craft altogether. By the end, I enjoy it like a puzzle, fitting the pieces together until it clicks. I loosen up on camera.

One of my favourite pieces is the feature on Taiwan’s love affair with Australia’s working holiday visa. Image supplied/amc

Field reporting in broadcast also means juggling more elements.

One morning, I’m up at 5:30am to cover a mass cycle ride for World Bike Day, which, like most events in Taiwan, comes with fanfare: drums, dancers, and even a spirited chant from the Giant Bikes chairman. With producer Jeffrey and videographer Ryan, we race around the venue to catch every interviewee on the list. They praise the government’s infrastructure investment that makes biking around the island possible. Once the cyclists take off, we trail them by car to capture b-roll, then rush to the finish line to record the feature’s closing lines. Back in the newsroom, we piece it together and watch it on the 6pm news that night.

One of my favourite pieces is the feature on Taiwan’s love affair with Australia’s working holiday visa. We begin in a quirky Australian-themed café tucked into a Taipei alley, then expand to interviews with people representing the 110,000 who worked in Australia over the past 10 years. We include challenges too, adding data supplied by the Australian government. I relish the broadcast details—the hiss of a steam wand, the grind of coffee beans—and suggest shots to capture the down-under décor. It takes a while to gather, but it reminds me of my university days, lugging a DSLR and tripod around Wellington, chasing the best angles for a media assignment.

I visit stunning Sun Moon Lake with Asia New Zealand grantee Bonnie. Image supplied/amc

Outside the newsroom, Taiwan’s magic continues to unfold. I take a gondola over forest-cloaked mountains in southern Taipei and hike to a waterfall with a fellow intern. I visit stunning Sun Moon Lake with Asia New Zealand grantee Bonnie.

Waiting for our train home, Bonnie and I reflect on the many times Taiwanese people showed us generosity: one woman gifting us Taiwan beer at the hostel, another helping us get boat tickets, and a schoolboy on the bus telling us where to find the best ice cream. Taiwanese people are remarkably hospitable.

Later, I travel to the east coast to watch 80 dolphins leap from the sea. Closer to home, climbing 600 steps to watch the sunset glint off Taipei 101 leaves me awestruck.

In Taiwan, food and drink are an event. A colleague takes me to a hotpot restaurant, where a chef performs gravity-defying noodle acrobatics, stretching and slinging dough as music plays from a speaker. Another introduces me to her favourite breakfast spot, where we eat Taiwan toast and dan bing (egg pancake) across from a neighbourhood temple.

Final night dinner in the city. Image supplied/amc

I look back fondly on the evenings spent walking down night-market lanes, trying tropical juices, stinky tofu (fermented tofu), matcha pancakes, and tanghulu (candied fresh fruit on skewers). 

An unexpected delight of TaiwanPlus is the social heart of the office. On the couches at the front, reporters and fellow interns gather to work more casually, share lunch, and swap advice. It’s where friendships form and newsroom tips are traded. As someone who loves to collaborate, this became one of my favourite parts of the workplace.

So many people supported me as I learned the ropes, and I’m deeply grateful for their patience and guidance. The journalists and videographers at TaiwanPlus are generous with knowledge, and willing to assist when needed. 

I learnt a lot from my colleagues and about myself as I navigated the personal and professional challenges of living and working in a foreign country. 

When I first arrived in Taipei, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I felt like a small speck far from home, but after three months of exploring, finding daily rhythms, and constant links between New Zealand, Australia and Taiwan, I left feeling the countries are closer than ever. My  experience at TaiwanPlus reminded me that journalism can begin with curiosity and end with connection.

As New Zealand journalism currently faces declining resources, roles and revenue, I am even more grateful for an opportunity like this. 

I’d encourage anyone considering this opportunity to go for it. The more you give, the more you’ll get back. For me, the three months were a mix of challenge and reward, trial and error, food and friendships, lessons and laughter. Taiwan gave me more than I expected, and I would do it again. 

-Asia Media Centre