Electronic Equipment Donation Benefits UiTM Journalism Students - Lecturers

ALOR GAJAH, Dec 4 (Bernama) -- The donation of a high-capacity computer and a smart television set to Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Melaka branch, in conjunction with the National Journalists’ Day (HAWANA) 2024 Campus Tour in the Southern Zone, will enhance students' understanding of journalism.

UiTM Melaka’s deputy rector (Student Affairs), Dr Nadzri Mohd Sharif, described the donation as a valuable opportunity for communication students at the UiTM Alor Gajah Campus, to deepen their knowledge of journalism through technology.

“With this technology, I believe that students will have a closer connection to the industry, enabling them to better understand and practice real-world applications in their learning process,” he told Bernama today.

The contribution, from the Ministry of Communications, was presented by the chief executive officer of the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin, in a ceremony at the UiTM Alor Gajah Campus Rector's Office.

It was also attended by Bernama editor-in-chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj, who is also the director of the HAWANA 2024 Project, and deputy editor-in-chief (News Service) Nasriah Darus.

In addition to the equipment donation, Bernama organised three workshops: Mobile Journalism (MoJo), a fact-checking session led by Bernama editors, and a talk on 'Klik Dengan Bijak’ by officials from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

Shafezah Abdul Wahab, a senior lecturer in journalism at UiTM Melaka Branch’s Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, noted that the Mobile Journalism (MoJo) workshop provided an excellent opportunity for journalism students to explore the evolving field of new media, directly from industry professionals.

She added that today’s students are increasingly tech-savvy, and the exposure from the workshop enhances the extracurricular experience for the group.

“UiTM emphasises new journalism, supported by technology, and related subjects have been integrated into the curriculum for two semesters. We are also moving away from a heavy reliance on traditional journalism methods,” she explained.

“Through this new media learning approach, I have observed that students are more engaged and positive when completing assignments. Their creativity in producing content has notably improved,” she shared with Bernama today.

Noor Ashmalia Ashraff, a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, UiTM Rembau Campus in Negeri Sembilan, highlighted how the fact-checking workshop sparked insights that would aid her PhD research on how society evaluates news. She began working on the project last year.

“During the workshop, the speaker provided several indicators for evaluating the authenticity of news, which I believe will serve as a valuable benchmark for my research,” she explained.

“I believe that the promotion of fact-checking needs to be expanded more aggressively to the public, so that false information can be better curbed,” she said.

The HAWANA 2024 Campus Tour spans six zones across the country: Sarawak, Sabah, Central, Northern, Southern, and East Coast. The East Coast edition will take place at Sultan Zainal Abidin University (UniSZA), Terengganu, on Dec 12, as the tour's final stop.

This series of tours is part of the activities held in conjunction with the HAWANA 2024 celebration, organised by the Ministry of Communications, with Bernama as the implementing agency.

-- BERNAMA