GEORGE TOWN: The Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) is collaborating with institutions of higher education (IPTs) to expand its training and exposure programmes to communication students in a bid to strengthen the field of journalism.
MPI president Datuk Yong Soo Heong said the initiative is part of MPI’s efforts to forge strategic collaboration between industry and academia to ensure the sustainability of the field of journalism.
“We, from the MPI, cooperate and organise programmes to provide exposure to students of IPTs, including private ones, about the field of journalism. In fact, we go to universities as part of efforts to expose and train them, compared to previously, when we only focused on doing this in our office.
“We also provide training and place emphasis on new journalism, focusing on technology, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and journalism based on data so that they get clear information regarding the field,” he said.
He told reporters this after attending a forum titled “Journalists of the Future: Building a Career in the New Media World” at the Han Chiang University College of Communication (HCUC) here today, which was also attended by MPI chief executive officer Ainol Amriz Ismail.
Also present as panellists were TV3 Northern Regional Correspondent Selvam Arjunan and media analyst Munir Anaam Zuljadan, who was formerly The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad (NSTP) Multimedia editor.
Elaborating, Yong said the training and exposure programmes, which have been conducted since last year, are seen to have had a positive impact, with students becoming more aware, active and confident to shine in the field of communication and journalism.
He added that MPI aims to continue to expand its collaborative networks with many more IPTs nationwide to ensure the new generation of journalists is ready to face the fast-paced and digital media world.
“We do not want technology to control journalists, but instead, journalists must master technology. That is why MPI reinforces this message at all the campuses,” he said.
He added that journalists must also continue to strengthen the core values of their profession by prioritising analytical thinking centred on ethics and credibility of reporting and the delivery of information in a media environment that is now influenced by social media and AI.
