KUCHING: Are the challenges and hardships involved in investigative reporting worthwhile?
“Not worth it, but with immense passion and enduring perseverance, it’s worth your while,” said former KAJAI Award-winning journalist Mohamad Shahren Mohamad Yusri.
He was sharing his experience and insights into investigative reporting with journalists of New Sarawak Tribune and Suara Sarawak at the Sarawak State Library (PUSTAKA) here, yesterday (14 July).
Shahren said his investigative reporting on child abortion clinics back in the 2000s, exposed the illegal activity of a number of clinics which prompted the authorities to shut down their operations.
“With my exposure of this illegal activity, the community now feel at peace and safe.
“As a result I was satisfied with my work and happy to see my stories published which made my efforts worthwhile (for me),” he said.
He encouraged the 60 reporters and editors present to chase after stories and work hard, reminding them of their duties to the community.
Shahren, who is now the general manager of Centre of Technical Excellence (CENTEX) Commercial, reflected on his hardship and challenges as an investigative reporter, explaining he had no regrets over the publication of the exclusive stories despite facing the constant fear that he could have lost his life.
“As a young lad, I had so much energy and desire to look for stories and have them published to make the public aware of the issues surrounding society.
“Keep going, and keep pursuing investigative reporting with a driving passion and do it wholeheartedly, because at the end of the day it will be worthwhile”, he said.
