A total of 35 students and four lecturers from the Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FAS) embarked on a journey to discover the ins and outs of the world of news and media on 4 August 2016.
Organised by the Department of Languages and Linguistics (DLL), the trip comprised visits to two major English news agencies, namely Al-Jazeera and Malaysiakini. Initiated by the Head of DLL Christina Ong Sook Beng, the visits were aimed to expose the students to the processes involved in news production, as well as to prepare them for their journeys after graduation.
Upon reaching the Al-Jazeera offices located at GTower in the heart of bustling Kuala Lumpur, the students were witness to journalists hard at work in the newsroom where news broadcasts from all over the world were being displayed.
Being an international company, Al-Jazeera operates its main office from Doha, Qatar, while running regional hubs all over the world. The Malaysian hub caters to the Southeast Asian region, and is booming with activity as journalists strive to achieve the best coverage of stories to be published and aired on time.
The students and lecturers, who were given a sit-down tour of the company and its operations, were thrilled with what they saw and heard, with some even expressing their aspirations to become journalists or producers in the future. The students were also exposed to information regarding the news writing and production from a series of sharing sessions delivered by officials from Al-Jazeera, namely Bureau Manager Jayaganesh Sabapathy, Producer of Programme Tiffany Ang, Producer of News Alicia Au and Senior Producer of Programme and Industry Advisor for UTAR’s English Language programme K. Parkaran.
From left: Jayaganesh, Ang, Au and Parkaran revealing the perks of becoming a journalist and producer
Year Two English Language student Tan Sze Ling, who took an interest in the workings of the cameras used to broadcast live news updates, said that she had never considered becoming a producer or a newscaster, but is now quite interested. “After seeing the intensity of the work that journalists and newscasters have to go through, I now understand why news is so valuable and of such quintessence. I hope that one day I too will be able to contribute to such a vast field,” she said.
Producer Tiffany Ang said that social media is one of the most effective ways to disseminate information to the masses. “Since many people are on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and now even Snapchat, we have taken it into our own hands to be active on these platforms to spread news, even if it is as simple as a tweet or picture,” she said. Ang, who is also in-charge of 101 East, Al-Jazeera’s in-depth, weekly current affairs programme, works with her team to produce newsworthy stories from across Asia and the Pacific, to uncover information that people would normally never look into twice. She mentioned that 101 East is a great way to enable society to understand the trends and ways-of-life of people in different countries, and to immerse themselves in cultures different from their own.
Media Manager of Al-Jazeera Gary Ooi (in black shirt) helping a student don a Kevlar vest and demonstrating the usage of filming equipment
Fellow producer at Al-Jazeera, Alicia Au was overwhelmed by the students’ reactions, saying that it was nice to see young people taking the initiative in a field where controversies from news reports might arise. “Although we understand that certain news might expose the ill-workings of certain people, it is our job to be fair and just when reporting, so that our viewers are able to grasp the truth of what is happening around them instead of being clouded by false accusations and biased news,” said Au.
She also mentioned that UTAR students could play an active role, even through their lives in a small town such as Kampar. “As university students, I’m sure you go through many things on a daily basis. If many of you come together and produce little write-ups of the happenings in Kampar, you could produce an online blog that would help people get acquainted with the treasures that Kampar has to offer. That could help you build a good community for yourselves and the locals there, as well as give you the necessary experience,” she said.
Ong (centre) presenting a token of appreciation to Jayaganesh, while (from left) Mohamad Iqbaal, Parkaran, Au and UTAR Lecturers Siti Ummaizah and Ooi Zao May look on
After about two and a half hours spent in the Al-Jazeera office, the students and lecturers made their way to the second news agency, Malaysiakini, a free press agency that fights for press freedom in Malaysia by reporting unbiased and unrestrained news.
Located at Section 51 of Petaling Jaya, the Malaysiakini office is home to news productions in four different languages, namely English, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin and Tamil, as well as home to KiniTV, Malaysiakini’s internet TV news portal. The Social Media Editor of Malaysiakini Norman Goh led the tour around the office and showed the students and lecturers the different workspaces created to suit the needs of staff to maximise productivity.
Students listening attentively to KiniTV’s Head of Content Tham Seen Hau (in dress) and Goh (in pink shirt)
Year Two student Taneesha Pillai commented on the press freedom that Malaysiakini fights for, saying, “It’s nice to see a news agency that believes in objectivity and truth in news reporting. It makes me even more interested to take up some sort of journalism when I finish my bachelor’s degree.”
The UTAR students and lecturers also had the opportunity to meet Steven Gan, Malaysiakini’s Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder, who spoke to them about the multiple challenges that the agency has faced since its launch in 1999.
The trip managed to evoke a sense of pride in the hearts of the students, as they expressed their appreciation for news agencies which strove to do good. Final Year Journalism student Wong Poe Kay said that this is what made her fall in love with journalism in the first place. “I like how despite obstacles they still manage to keep their heads held high.” She said that the trip allowed her to gain better insight to the world of media and news.
DLL’s Lecturer Mohamad Iqbaal bin Mohd Wazir said that he himself learnt a vast amount of information that cannot be obtained through textbooks. “The working world will pose challenges to individuals and companies, but what matters is whether or not the ways to overcome these challenges are based on the truth. If they are, success will not be a stranger.”
From left: Gan, Ong, Siti Ummaizah and UTAR students
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