SIBU: The Mobile Journalism Workshop 2024, organised by the Institute of Rejang Journalists (IRJ), aimed to teach effective storytelling techniques and skills.
According to its organising chairperson, Jane Moh, the two-day workshop (March 9-10) managed to invite two trainers from Singapore, who are also journalists: Augustine Anthuvan and Ng Lian Cheong.
“These two are from the newsroom; they cover breaking news and special reports. It’s not just about being very fast, but also about being accurate with the information. The story has to be there, despite being only a 30-second or 60-second video.
“I know that the majority of us will not have that experience, but these are skills that all of us can apply in telling effective stories,” she said in her welcoming speech at the workshop, which was attended by 260 participants.
The workshop, being held in collaboration with the Sibu Journalists Association (SJA) and Kingwood Hotel, and supported by Business Events Sarawak (BES), was officiated by chief political secretary to the Premier Sarawak, Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman, who is also Tupong assemblyman.
Moh added that they also invited Dexter Anthony, a young film director in Kuala Lumpur hailing from Kapit, to teach filming and editing using smartphones, as well as how to upload content on social media.
“What we are learning today is going to be intensive, but all of this will prepare us not just for tomorrow, but also beyond this workshop. For us local journalists, it’s something that we need to improve our skills, especially now that we are in the world of social media.
“For those of you who have always wanted to start doing some simple filming, I hope that this workshop will at least give you the confidence to start. For those in corporate sector, it’s the same effective storytelling skill that you can apply to try to sell your brand or products.
“For those in tourism, you learn to find and come up with better stories. This is basically the direction that we are heading,” she added.
Also present was president of IRJ and SJA councillor Yii Souk Ming.
