Haliza Hashim: 30 Years of Solo Journalism from London
IPOH: 'Haliza Hashim, TV3...London.' That was the iconic sign off of TV3 news correspondent, Haliza Hashim who was the face connecting Malaysian viewers with major events in Europe for over 30 years.
In an era of increasingly advanced technology, this 60-year-old woman takes on the task of a versatile solo journalist who can double as a cameraman, interviewer, voice-over artist, scriptwriter, editor and presenter to make a complete and interesting report.
'More than three decades, as if I can't believe it, I'm still standing here, still reporting. As long as the television company needs me, I will be here and retire here,' she said when met by Bernama in London, recently.
Recounting her career path, the Cardiff University economics graduate said she started at the TV3 News Room, Jalan Liku, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur in the early 1990s as a broadcast journalist for the news segment and Money Matters programme from February 1991 to January 1993 before making the bold decision to become a correspondent in London.
'I started by joining several international media associations, introducing myself to Malaysian government departments and agencies in London and building networks with key ministries here. Chasing deadlines and language barriers in European countries were among the major challenges faced.
'In the 90s, I hired a cameraman, rented an editing studio, sent visuals using satellite and sent text reports via fax to the newsroom. If you think about it, journalists are really lucky these days, they can write scripts and record visuals with smartphones.'
Haliza said that with the development of technology, starting in 2013 she used a broadcast-quality video camera to record visuals and interviews, edit videos using applications on her laptop and send news using the latest system directly to the editor in the newsroom.
'As a solo journalist, sometimes I miss the intimacy with my colleagues, crew and the atmosphere of the newsroom. However, the advantages of working solo allow me to move more easily, quickly and save costs,' said the mother of two, aged 30 and 26.
Haliza's coverage covers various historical events including the MH17 tragedy in Ukraine, summits such as the G8 and G20, the 7/7 London bombings, the Grenfell Tower fire, the Paris bombings, the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II, the coronation of King Charles III and not forgetting the story of the Malaysian diaspora to the official visits of this country's leaders to the UK or Europe.
She also had the opportunity to interview famous figures such as the two previous UK Prime Ministers, namely Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac (former French President) as well as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Apart from her busy schedule as a journalist, Haliza is also active in humanitarian work as the chairman of MERCY Humanitarian UK from 2015 to 2024, involved in aid missions to Lebanon, Bangladesh and Morocco while producing special reports from disaster areas as well as pioneered the Talian Kasih MERCY initiative, a mental health support platform for Malaysians in the UK and Europe.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, her efforts to distribute thousands of sets of personal protective equipment (PPE) to health centres in the UK were recognised through the Golden Hearts Award and she also received the Ahli Mangku Negara (AMN) medal from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 2023.
In addition, Haliza also shared her knowledge at various journalism workshops, public talks, and mentoring sessions for university students in Malaysia and the UK, making her not only a journalist of calibre, but also a mentor to a new generation of journalists.
Haliza was also appointed as an Adjunct Professor at Universiti Malaysia for two years starting this month and is currently actively writing a memoir that records personal experiences, stories behind the scenes of reporting as well as honest reflections on the increasingly dynamic and complex world of media.
Asked about the celebration of National Journalists' Day (HAWANA) on every May 29, Haliza said it shows that the sacrifices of media practitioners in Malaysia, especially those working behind the scenes and in challenging situations, are appreciated and recognised.
'HAWANA means that media practitioners are appreciated every year and not a 'one off event' because most of the time they are the ones who work hard towards deadlines to deliver accurate news and information to the public,' she said.
The HAWANA 2025 celebration, themed ' Journalism in the New Era: Embracing AI, Safeguarding Ethics, has been going on since yesterday and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will officiate the summit today at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) today.
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