James Massola is an award-winning Fairfax journalist who has been based in Canberra and Jakarta. James is also an author writing a book to be published by Allen & Unwin about the Tham Luang cave rescues titled 'The Great Cave Rescue: The extraordinary story of the Thai boy soccer team trapped in a cave for 18 days'.

James complete a Bachelor of Arts at Monash in 2006 and a Master's in International Relations  at Monash in 2008.

Sitting in a van on the way to the Kutupalong refugee camp, the largest in the world with more than 400,000 people, is Arts alumnus James Massola.

He is there to write about Rohingya Muslims, who have been fleeing persecution from the neighbouring country of Myanmar since the crisis began in 2015.

"It’s mind boggling," James says of the refugee situation.

And he would know. As a senior journalist for news organisations such as the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) and The Age, James has had an inside view into almost a decade of nation-changing and world-defining moments.

"I'll never forget the day Osama Bin Laden was killed by US Navy Seals. I was covering the story from Canberra as a political reporter and immediately rang a couple of former Monash lecturers of mine," James recalled.

"Neither had heard the news yet—it had become public about five minutes earlier—and neither of them quite believed me at first.

"I've covered every leadership change and spill in Canberra since Tony Abbott replaced Malcolm Turnbull as opposition leader in December 2009, which as we all know, is rather a lot."

Thai military prepare to enter the cave to assist the rescue operation.

James was also on the ground reporting on the 2018 Thailand Tham Luang cave rescues, which saw 12 kids and their 25-year-old coach at the centre of a rescue saga that stretched over two nail biting weeks.

The event captured the attention of Australia and the world. But reading it in the papers is one thing, seeing it unfold in front of your eyes and then having to relay all that information to an entire nation is another.

"Speed and accuracy were paramount [and] the idea is to serve every audience you can, on every platform you can," James explained.

"I was publishing daily news stories—I think it was 29 stories in 10 days—as well as on Twitter, Facebook and our daily blog on The Age and SMH.

"We were writing daily updates about the rescue, we tried to write stories about the mythology connected to the cave, the stories of the rescuers, the divers, and more."

It’s one of those jobs that gives you a glimpse into the lives of so many that would otherwise stay hidden; it can take you all over the world, to witness the highest of human highs and the lowest lows.

Media gathering after one of former Governor Narongsak's press conferences.

James’ trip to Kutupalong where he will bear witness to the plight of the persecuted Rohingya Muslims, and his work on the Thailand cave rescues are just a couple of examples of that.

But it’s not as simple as simply relaying facts or writing descriptions of events. Most of the topics James covers have layers upon layers of political and cultural complexities and nuances.

How James has used his Arts degree

James credits much of his ability to communicate difficult situations between demographics from intensely diverse backgrounds to the lessons he learnt during his Arts degrees.

"People who sneer that you're doing 'just Arts' don't know what they are talking about," James said.

"Both degrees taught me how to write, and how to think critically.

"If you can't pull together a story in an easy-to-understand, accessible way that highlights the most important, relevant facts than you are lost before you even start.

"And in terms of critical thinking, rather than simply trusting what a media release or a government minister tells you, it's crucial to go further and probe for the story behind the story.

"Second, the Masters has been invaluable since I swapped Canberra for Jakarta.

"Many of the countries I cover are majority Muslim and having an understanding of some of the schools and strands of Islamic thought—particularly the more radical minority groups—is something I am thankful for on a daily basis.

"Studying a Masters of International Relations at Monash, without question, made me a better journalist, as did my undergraduate Arts degree."

And while it’s impossible to imagine what the future holds for an international correspondent like James, we can be sure he will continue to be a pivotal member of Australia’s fourth estate.

"I always wanted to be a writer and tell (true) stories. I thought about other careers but this is the only thing I ever really wanted to do.

"I love it."