Unique learning experience for JOURNALISTS

Disna MUDALIGE

It was all about hands on learning, sharing and having fun. At the end of the one month programme, the hardest thing for every participant was to bid farewell to their overseas counterparts knowing that there is little chance to meet them once again face to face.

Being a participant in the International Journalism Fellowship (IJF) 2012 organized by the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI), held in Kuala Lumpur from September 18 - October 15, I was lucky enough to enrich my life and career with a bunch of memorable experiences and valuable knowledge.

The IJF 2012 comprised of 18 young participants from seven countries, including 11 participants from the host country, two from Indonesia, and one each from Brunei, Mongolia, Namibia, Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka.

It was truly fascinating to see how all of us had many things in common to share, despite we came from different countries and cultural backgrounds.

Veteran journalists

None of us felt homesick during our stay, leaving a credit to the course design and of course to new media and advanced communication technology which kept us connected to our loved ones round the clock surpassing barriers of time and geographical boundary.

The training sessions were conducted at the MPI training centre where we trekked every morning as one group with our learning materials including laptops. At times this journey made us feel that we were back to school.

The training covered a wide range of topics to help early career journalists to develop their own strategies in adapting their journalism practice to a convergent media environment. The opportunity to listen to overwhelming experiences of veteran journalists and media trainers from China, the Philippines and Malaysia was priceless for every participant.

The participants were also taken to places of interests such as Kuala Terengganu; a city with serene and picturesque beauty, Genting Highlands; a theme park, Bukit Merah Laketown Resort which comprises of an eco-park, water park and an Orang Utan sanctuary, Penang; a city famous for delicious local food, Putrajaya; the country's administrative capital and Petronas Twin Towers; the tallest twin buildings in the world.

In addition to the above places, field visits had also been arranged to RTM (Radio Television Malaysia) and the Star, two leading electronic and print media organizations, to enable the participants to get first-hand experience on how mainstream media operate in Malaysia and the technological leaps in the field of journalism.

The IJF 2012 group also attended a forum on 'Role of the Media in Ensuring Integrity' held at the Institute Integrity Malaysia (IIM) which concentrated on integrity and credibility of the mainstream media and the role of the alternative media in the society.

Frequent interactions, presentations, individual and group assignments and exercises reminded us of the serious business we were attending to. Yet, the serious business was confined only to class hours and soon after the class colleagues of the host country volunteered to show and explain places of interests in their locality to their foreign counterparts. These outings, paved way for greater understanding and deep and powerful bond among all classmates at end of one month programme unveiling the spirit of youth.

Overseas participants

The overseas participants could grasp dozens of Malay words and a few sentences and use them aptly, towards the end of the programme. Likewise, our Malay friends were also keen on learning native languages of the overseas participants.

We could also try a wide range of local traditional cuisine throughout our stay. The local dishes in Malaysia ranging from spicy to sweet are memorable for their fresh ingredients and unique flavours, even though famous Sri Lankan traditional cuisine undeniably does not become second to them.

As the participants became intimate friends, the programme also came to an end. The closing ceremony, in which all participants wore their national dresses to represent their countries and cultures, was a sentimental moment to bid 'good bye'. The IJF programme, which started in 2008, was attended by 104 participants so far from 18 countries. As a follower of the programme, I join in well-wishing and congratulating its organizers.