2. Rose Foley

Sponsor Club: Kelvin, Scotland, District 1230

 

Rose Foley is from Glasgow, Scotland. Rose completed her undergraduate degree in English literature at University College, Oxford University, before deciding to pursue a postgraduate degree in journalism at City University, London. After qualifying as a journalist, Rose worked for commercial television news in England and then as a television producer and radio reporter for BBC Scotland news. Before coming to Australia, Rose worked with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in Toronto. There, she produced international television news and worked as a radio reporter.

Alongside her career in journalism, Rose has always had an interest in the relationship between media and development. In 2006 she spent a year in Kigali, Rwanda where she worked as a communications and advocacy advisor for a girls’ education charity and as a freelance journalist. While in the country, she had the opportunity to see at first hand how media was both aiding and frustrating the reconciliation process after the 1994 genocide.

Studying at UQ has given Rose further opportunity to explore the connections between journalism, conflict and peace. For her applied field experience, she chose to gain a more practical understanding of the ‘media for development’ field, by working with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in New Delhi, India. She spent three months concentrating on community radio projects. Community radio stations (which are run by non-governmental organisations and local communities) have only been legal in India since 2006. They are designed to empower people who mainstream media cannot reach. Rose is now writing her Masters thesis on the sector and its potential to provide an alternative public space for marginalized communities in India.

In the future Rose hopes to combine her interests in humanitarian work and journalism, by working either in the media section of a non-governmental organisation, or in a charity that specializes in using media for development. Rose is very grateful for the amazing experience she has had in Brisbane. She has enjoyed fantastic support from her lecturers, Rotary counsellors and her host club. She looks forward to continuing those relationships.