Journalists@work: Ilma Siriga

Ilma Siriga

Ilma Siriga lives in Papua New Guinea (PNG), a remote tropical country in the South Pacific. She works as a program producer, presenter and reporter for PNG’s national television service, Kundu 2 TV. A fairly new television station, Kundu 2 TV only started up in 2008 and it still doesn’t reach all of PNG’s population, many of whom live in isolated villages in highland valleys.

Ilma has worked at the station for more than three years now. When her team is short-staffed, she not only reports stories but also does the filming and basic editing herself.

Do you have a personal motto for your journalistic work?

I don’t really have one which I tell people but I do have something which always stays in the back of my head when I’m working – “an authentic and unique art from the heart”.

Is there a situation, interview or story that has changed your life?

Yes, I do. It was when I interviewed some of the world’s first climate change refugees. They were people from the Carteret Islands of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in the far east of PNG. I asked them how they were coping with being landless and homeless as the PNG government resettled them on the mainland. Since then, I have been educating myself on how I can reduce my carbon footprint in my everyday life.

What do you love about your work?

I love that I never get bored. There are always new fascinating people, things and places to discover.

And what do you hate?

What I hate is the lack of resources or manpower that hinders me from producing my story when I need to.

Your journalistic dream would be…

To complete a masters degree program. Unfortunately, that isn’t offered here in PNG.

Your most important tool is …

A Macbook.

Ilma Siriga during a recent DW Akademie workshop in Fiji

What do you still want to learn? Is there a question about your profession that you keep asking yourself?

How to produce a good documentary film? I also wonder what it feels like to produce a ‘live’ television program.

Which websites do you visit every day?

I don’t have a favorite website but almost everyday, I check out the various scholarship programs available globally so I can apply for a masters program in journalism. I spend about an hour a day online.

Do you use social networks such as Twitter or Facebook?

Yes, I use Facebook and I just signed up for a Twitter account in October. Social media let me keep in touch with friends, colleagues and work sources all across the globe, whether it is for business or for fun.

If you could write a text message to the world, what would it be?

Save Our Planet!