Curtin Malaysia welcomes new media students with fun and engaging journalism workshop

Miri – 29 March 2023 – With the commencement of new semester and arrival of new students, a group of final-year journalism students of Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) calling themselves the Pineapple Media Team welcomed the newcomers with a fun ‘Crash Landing on Journalism 2.0’ workshop.

About 30 students newly enrolled in the Bachelor of Communications, Foundation, and Diploma of Media Studies programmes at the Faculty of Humanities and Health Sciences and School of Pre-U and Continuing Education (SPACE) participated in the workshop. Also present were Foundation and Diploma of Media Studies lecturers Peter Jamba and Hanley Fong.

The half-day workshop comprised a treasure hunt and some TV news station themed games in the Department of Media and Communication media editing lab.

Head of Media and Communications Department, Dr. Ngu Ik Ying, said many people perceive journalism as serious and dull when it is actually quite interesting and rewarding.

“This workshop challenges these assumptions by injecting fun into topics like news writing, integrating games and working in groups on various fun activities. We want our students to have fun while learning, to work together to create interactive stories,” she said.

Workshop organising chairperson Nur Ain Nabillah agreed, saying that incorporating games relating to different topics can be a lot more inspirational and increase students’ learning motivation compared to simply sitting in classrooms listening to lectures.

“Through games, our workshop participants learn tips on finding news, apply critical thinking, and collaborating with others. It is also a great way to break the ice and make friends among your course mates,” she said.

Participant Adlynna Batrisyia binti Ahmadul Adi said she was thrilled to try out the live news reporting in the studio and the hands-on experience helped her understand journalism more.

Curtin Malaysia offers Curtin’s three-year Bachelor of Communications which helps students develop skills and knowledge in two or more related fields of study at the intersection of media, business, design and new communications technologies.

The course offers contextual study of the history, theory, ethics and criticism of the various practices, institutions and discourses in media, communication and information. Fundamental skills and knowledge for work in the corporate media and information field is provided with considerable breadth of expertise.

The course is technology-centred and gives students real opportunities to work with commercial-level equipment and produce real work for print, film and television. It also provides ample opportunities for practical learning and exposure to industry practices to help students build their portfolio of work experience and engage with industry professionals.

Currently, students have a choice of five specialisations in the Bachelor of Communications, namely, Corporate Screen Communication, Journalism, Web Media, Marketing and Public Relations.

Graduates of the course can find employment in a wide range of industries as public relations officers, market researchers, journalists, advertising account executives, communications officers, filmmakers, cinematographers, producers, editors, video editors, scriptwriters, Internet analysts, online marketers, digital content creators, marketing officers, web designers/developers, and more.

Those interested to pursue studies in media and communications can also opt for the two-year Diploma of Media Studies which trains students for a variety of media and communications roles. Students are introduced to the areas of web media, journalism and screen communication, develop critical thinking skills and conduct practical work modelled on industry practices.

The course also provides students a pathway to continue their studies at degree level. Students who successfully complete the Diploma of Media Studies will be eligible for admission to the Bachelor of Communication with advanced standing of a maximum 200 credits.

For more information on the Bachelor of Communications and Diploma of Media Studies, visit https://courses.curtin.edu.my/.

Information on Curtin Malaysia can be found on its website at www.curtin.edu.my, or look for Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn or Tik-Tok.

Pineapple Media Team (front row), Dr Ngu (second row, 3rd right) and lecturer Hanley Fong (second row, 2nd right) pose for group photo with participants

Workshop participants trying their hand at filming during the workshop

Participants brainstorming news stories in news game

Participants learning how to edit news videos in media lab