CNA Overseas Correspondent Program Concludes as Young Talents Showcase Global Reporting Skills

The Central News Agency (CNA) held the results sharing session for the ninth edition of its “I Am an Overseas Correspondent” campus tour and training program on the 7th. This event, which has drawn significant attention from the domestic communications academic community and young students, once again selected outstanding new-generation students and arranged for them to undertake on-site internships and reporting abroad. At the sharing session, eight college students, affectionately known as the “Junior Overseas Correspondents,” gathered to openly share their experiences, observations, and personal journeys of conducting news reporting in foreign lands with the public and junior students. The event not only served as a summary of the internship journey but also symbolized the bold expansion and practice of international perspectives by the new generation of Taiwanese news professionals.

At the results presentation, CNA Chairman Chiang Chun-nan personally attended and delivered his expectations. Speaking from the perspective of a seasoned news veteran, Chiang expressed high praise and encouragement for this group of standout news talents. He urged the young students to maintain their curiosity and desire to explore the world amid the rapidly changing tides of the era. News work is not merely about recording facts; it also bears the mission of conveying values and connecting the world. He expressed his hope that after experiencing the rigors of overseas postings, these eight emerging talents would continue to leverage their strengths in the future, bringing Taiwan’s unique perspectives, culture, and values of democracy and freedom to the international stage, while accurately introducing global developments to the Taiwanese public, thus serving as an important bridge for dialogue between Taiwan and the world.

Since its inception, the “I Am an Overseas Correspondent” program has been a key cradle for cultivating international news talent in Taiwan. As globalization accelerates, the international geopolitical and economic trade environment facing Taiwan has become increasingly complex, heightening the urgency for domestic media to have overseas correspondents with international perspectives and foreign language capabilities. However, due to operational pressures and cost considerations in traditional media, many news organizations have recently reduced their overseas presences, making it difficult for young Taiwanese communication students to gain direct experience with frontline international news practices. As a national news agency, CNA has long shouldered the public mission of voicing Taiwan to the world. Through this concrete and robust training program, CNA actively enters campuses to discover talent and provides actual opportunities for overseas reporting, injecting a continuous flow of fresh energy into Taiwan’s communication sector.

The eight Junior Overseas Correspondents who stood out this year were selected through a rigorous, multi-stage competition among major colleges and universities across Taiwan. Before stepping onto foreign soil, they underwent a series of strict training sessions led by CNA’s in-house team of senior reporters and editors, covering professional courses such as international news writing, photography techniques, crisis management, foreign language interviewing skills, and cross-cultural communication. Upon arriving at their overseas postings, they ceased to be students merely listening in classrooms; instead, they had to face real-world emergencies, interview local political figures and expert scholars, and produce news reports meeting professional standards within limited timeframes. This high-pressure yet fruitful internship process completely overturned their previous imaginations of news work, significantly enhancing their stress resilience and independent thinking abilities.

Through this results sharing session, the Junior Overseas Correspondents not only shared their technical gains but also delved into the unique positioning they felt as Taiwanese in the international community. During their reporting trips abroad, they deeply experienced the international community’s attention and curiosity regarding Taiwan-related issues, and witnessed how Taiwan’s soft power in fields such as technology, culture, and public health has received international recognition. These valuable firsthand experiences deepened their emotional connection to the land of Taiwan and further solidified their determination to pursue a career in journalism in the future. Many communication department faculty and students, as well as junior students observing the event, were deeply moved after listening to the shares and expressed strong interest in participating in the program in the future.

With the successful conclusion of the ninth results sharing session, the “I Am an Overseas Correspondent” program has once again written a successful chapter in Taiwan’s news education. These young emerging talents, full of passion and potential, are ready to shine in the future media workplace after their overseas experience. In an era dominated by global information warfare and the proliferation of fake news, professional, objective, and internationally minded news talent is more precious than ever. CNA’s foresight and persistence in continuing to promote this program are gradually building a solid news force capable of engaging in dialogue with the world, ensuring that Taiwan’s voice is never absent from the international stage.

(Source: Central News Agency)