“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often”
– Former prime minister of the United Kingdom, Winston Churchill.
Change is scary, but whether we like it or not, it is something that is inevitable. It is a natural part of life that can happen anytime and from any aspect.
Last week, my Editor-in-Chief made the decision that he was moving me from the print news desk to the online team.
He wants me to assist in spearheading and increasing our paper’s digital presence, focusing on creating engaging and impactful content for our online audience.
When he made the announcement, I was quite scared and nervous about this change.
For the past three years, I have always contributed to news reporting for our traditional print edition.
These news would then be uploaded to our website and social media platforms.
However, this time around, I will be actively involved in online and video content creation. From creating and planning the action plan to executing, coordinating, and managing the team members.
Honestly, it felt like I was being thrown into uncharted waters, and I feared that I might not be good at this task.
It took some time for this change to sink in and I began to do some self-reflection.
I realized that while there are some changes to my role and job scopes, this is not something entirely new to me.
During my time as a university student, I had a fair share of experience being a group leader for video assignments which are part and parcel of most of the requirements for the courses I took.
Even though I enjoyed working and doing things behind the scenes, it taught me valuable skills in content creation, video editing, and understanding what kind of content would click with the audience.
I also have experience in assisting several clients for their social media content creation and management during my short stint as a part-timer at a media consultant company.
I noticed that clients may differ in their image and reputation, but they do share a common goal of wanting to increase their online visibility and create brand awareness – I believe this is something New Sarawak Tribune has in mind as well.
As a millennial, of course I am no stranger to social media, but I do have to admit that most of my postings revolve around personal interests and hobbies.
I remember telling my boss, “Sir, the team, including myself, are young people. Don’t be surprised if our idea, style and approach are very upbeat and fun.”
To which he said, “The ball is in your court, but you have to make sure that the content appeals to the mature audience and demographics as well.”
With the boss’s green light on the freedom to unleash all ounces of creativity, I realize that the transition to creating content for my workplace is actually an exciting challenge.
I see it as an opportunity to leverage my generation’s familiarity with social media to reach a wider and younger audience which is increasingly important for our publication’s sustainability.
It is an open secret that the print industry is no longer the economic juggernaut like it used to be.
In an interview with Bernama in 2019, veteran newsman Tan Sri Johan Jaafar, who was once the chief editor of the Utusan Malaysia Group, said that the industry has “a very bleak, difficult and uncertain future.”
He said newspapers have been slowly dying over the past decade or so. It is a sunset industry whether one likes it or not because that is the reality.
“Yes, it is very scary. It pains me but I’m being realistic. There are even naysayers who believe that in the next five years, almost all newspapers in the world will cease to exist in their traditional form based on the declining sales. I believe that’s a possibility,” he said.
With digitalisation and the wonders of the Internet, people’s interests and news consumption have changed.
Unfortunately, those who are unable to keep abreast and adapt accordingly have no choice but to close down.
I believe that by infusing a more contemporary, interactive, and visually appealing style into our online and video content, we can not only maintain our current audience but also attract a new generation of readers who consume news differently.
It is going to be a challenge finding the right formula and way to captivate the attention of readers given the rise of third party news portals and citizen journalists whereby contents are judged by ‘clickbait’ or its popularity value.
Nonetheless, I am excited to work on this with my team.
Change may be scary, but it is also a chance for growth and innovation. I am embracing this shift with an open mind and a determination to adapt, learn, and excel in my new role.
It is time to ride the waves of change and see where they take us in the ever-evolving landscape of digital journalism.
