Media personnel must learn to quickly pivot and evolve as the industry continues to face challenges on multiple fronts.
National Press Club of Malaysia (NPC) deputy president Haresh Deol said it’s never too late for those in the media fraternity to continue learning, pick up new skills, and be reminded of the fundamentals of reporting.
“It has been a challenging time for journalists and journalism in Malaysia and worldwide. There are a lot of noise and distractions, and it is important for us to raise above them all,” said Haresh.
“One way of doing this is by upskilling. We must evolve and be ready to quickly pivot. We must also be sensitive to the demands of our audience.”
Haresh said this in his opening remarks at the NPC Professional Development Series programme, which started this morning, at the Dorsett Hotel, in Putrajaya.
The one-day event, which is part of a series of 10 programmes that will be held nationwide, saw the participation of 40 media personnel from various organisations, including the New Straits Times Press Group, Astro Awani, and representatives from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
“I’m glad to see many young faces. This gives hope to the industry. I must thank MCMC and our other partners, namely Institut Penyiaran dan Penerangan Tun Abdul Razak (IPPTAR), Telum Media, and the Crisis Management Centre, for their efforts in ensuring media personnel in Malaysia continue to stay relevant,” said Haresh, who is the co-founder and editor of Twentytwo13.
“The programme is broken up into a series of compelling modules that cover a wide scope of topics. They include the evolving cybersecurity landscape, data storytelling, and code of ethics. These topics are invaluable in strengthening the way we journalists, present our reports.”
Among the trainers involved in the first NPC PDS today were MCMC head of investigation, Akmal Hamdy Baharudin, Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia executive director Mediha Mahmood, and Dataxet managing director Chris Seto.
The next NPC PDS will be held on Jan 11 at IPPTAR in Kuala Lumpur.