Brokers of journalism: Exploring the assigned role of interpreters in media training in Vietnam.

This article examines the role of interpreters in two Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)-funded journalism training programmes in Vietnam from 1993 to 2007, focusing on how interpreters acted as brokers in transferring Swedish journalistic culture within contrasting media systems. Based on qualitative analyses of project documents and interviews with former Swedish trainers, the study finds that interpreters' responsibilities extended beyond language translation to mediating cultural and professional norms, navigating conflicting loyalties between donor expectations and Vietnam's state-controlled media environment. The interpreters' role as development brokers was critical in facilitating communication and adapting journalistic concepts such as democracy and press freedom, though challenges in translation and cultural differences sometimes limited the effectiveness of the training. The article highlights the importance of recognizing interpreters' contributions in media aid projects and suggests that future research explore their agency and ethical challenges in cross-cultural journalism training contexts.