Volunteer Journalism internships, gain work-experience overseas on a print or broadcast placement in Mongolia

Volunteering on a Journalism Internship Placement overseas in Mongolia

As a volunteer on a Journalism Project in Mongolia you could work for a newspaper, radio station or national TV station. Living and working in the capital of this fascinating country, Ulaanbaatar, you will find you have no shortage of interesting and unusual experiences which will give you plenty of inspiration for your reports.

There are a variety of different journalism internships available to our volunteers in Mongolia and wherever you work you will be given responsibilities according to your abilities and interests. Let us know what kind of reporting you'd like to pursue when you apply and we will find you a placement to match.

For volunteers who are on a gap-year looking to get into a related university course, or those looking for employment following graduation, a Projects Abroad placement will set you on the right path. Your CV will be greatly enhanced by the practical skills that you gain during your journalism placement, and you will have a large portfolio of work from your time abroad. In addition to this, the experience of living and working in a foreign country will act as proof of your adaptability, whilst giving you an interesting subject of discussion in future interviews.

These journalism placements are also suitable for working journalists and experienced professionals who wish to take a career-break or broaden their horizons. In the past we have had journalists from major broadsheet publications trying their hand at working as a journalist in Mongolia.

Print Journalism Placements in Mongolia with Projects Abroad

Our Print Journalism volunteers work on weekly English language newspapers - the UB Post or the Mongol Messenger - where you will initially work alongside local journalists, observing the work they do and assisting them in their tasks. Once you have learned the ropes you will be given the freedom you might expect as an established journalist in your own country.

Newspapers have flourished since the democratic revolution in 1990; you will be working in a country where the idea of a free press is relished. Being one of the only English-speaking journalists in the city has its advantages. One volunteer recently interviewed the American Ambassador and, to the envy of other newspapers, he secured an interview with a famous English-speaking Mongolian pop star!

We also have a number of placements with Mongolian newspapers, where your work will be translated into Mongolian and used in the main body of the paper; an exciting addition to any journalist's portfolio. You may even be asked to write your own regular column for the English-language section!

Radio Journalism Placements in Mongolia with Projects Abroad

We also arrange journalism placements in radio and television, and volunteers have recently found themselves presenting shows on both. On FM103.6 we had a volunteer fronting a chat show which went out live to residents of Ulaanbaatar and the surrounding region.

Volunteers get involved with production as well as broadcasting during their placement. You could be producing a radio show or searching out stories in the town, giving you lots of opportunities to meet the local people. If you can demonstrate enthusiasm and creativity, you will be offered plenty of opportunities to get involved in different stories and projects.

Previous volunteers have co-presented live current affairs programmes, done interviews on the radio, and reported on news and sports.

TV Journalism Placements in Mongolia with Projects Abroad

Our TV Journalism Placement offers you a great insight into how TV broadcasting works. Working on the publicly funded Mongolian National Television, one past volunteer was the anchor on the English News, which was broadcast to the entire Mongol nation!

We also work with privately owned television stations like TV5 where volunteers can get involved in many areas both in front and behind the camera. Staff are keen for you to bring new and exciting skills to the job; a previous volunteer began work as a cameraman but soon found himself working as a director, and then being commissioned to design a new TV5 logo!

With cuttings and tapes to bring home, a journalism placement in Mongolia is an interesting way to add something extra to your portfolio.

"Being on a journalism placement and therefore, part of the TV5 crew, we were able to film in the press pit and exchange stories with other foreign journalists. It was great to see how other TV stations worked in a third world country and surprisingly, how technologically advanced they are. TV5 is one of the biggest stations in Mongolia and the crews are there at most major events"
Sarah Rajabalee - Journalism volunteer in Mongolia