HAWANA Campus Tour Provides Students With Fresh Insights Into Media Industry

BANGI, Nov 4 (Bernama) -- The National Journalists’ Day (HAWANA) 2024 campus tour serves as a good platform to expose youth to the importance of media literacy and to help them understand the challenges posed by the digital era.

Many students who attended the Central Zone HAWANA 2024 Tour at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) today expressed their hope that the programme would be expanded on a larger scale.

For 21-year-old Yasmin Mithali Ab Rahman, a student at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSK) at UKM, today’s event offered her a fresh perspective on utilising the latest technology to produce more engaging news content.

“Today’s knowledge-sharing session was incredibly beneficial. I learned a lot about smartphone cameras, such as different camera angles, resolution, camera settings, and related equipment.

“I see that Mobile Journalism (MoJo) can be applied and expanded to youth, as today’s media landscape heavily employs social media apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook to share information,” she told Bernama after the programme at FSSK, UKM today.

The programme was also attended by Ministry of Communications secretary-general Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa; the ministry’s senior under secretary (Management) Mazlan Abd Mutalib; and Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chief executive officer Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin, who is also the chairman of the Hawana 2024 Working Committee.

Also present were Bernama editor-in-chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj; deputy editor-in-chief (News Service) Nasriah Darus; head of Management Services and Finance Sharifah Zaini Syed Zain; and head of TV and Radio Broadcasting Mohd Shukri Ishak.

For final-year student Nur Syaheera Adi Azmin, 21, from the Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), the new knowledge gained from today’s programme provided her with valuable insights as she prepared to embark on her journalism career after graduation.

“Media knowledge is vital, as I see that today’s journalists need to be proficient not only in writing but also in video editing, camera usage, and other related tasks. This kind of exposure is essential for the new generation of journalists, particularly amid the rapid technological transitions we are experiencing,” she said.

Khairunnisa Raimy Kamaruddin, 22, echoed similar sentiments, expressing her hope that the programmes under the HAWANA Tour 2024, such as MoJo, fact-checking, and cyber awareness, would continue to be held to bolster media knowledge among the youth.

“This programme is very good and should be continued on a larger scale. The knowledge shared is very beneficial, and I believe that expanding it can help young people in the country deepen their media literacy skills,” she said.

The Central Zone HAWANA 2024 campus tour at UKM’s FSSK saw participation from more than 300 students, including those from UKM, UPM, Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), and Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI).

The programme features a MoJo course conducted by Syed Lylia Hariz Al-Qadri from Bernama’s Digital Media Desk, who provides insights into using the latest devices and applications for news reporting.

It also includes a fact-checking session led by the editor of Mycheck Malaysia and the Bernama Data Journalism Unit, Sakina Mohamed.

Today’s programme also saw UKM, UPM, IIUM, UM, UiTM Shah Alam, USIM and UPSI, receiving donations of computer and television sets valued at RM20,000, donated by the Ministry of Communications, and presented by Bernama as HAWANA Secretariat.

The HAWANA 2024 campus tour programme at UKM is the third edition, after Sarawak on May 25 and Sabah (Oct 25). Upcoming sessions will be held in Melaka (Southern Zone), Terengganu (East Coast Zone) and Penang (Northern Zone).

HAWANA 2024 is organised by the Ministry of Communications, with Bernama as the implementing agency.

-- BERNAMA