IACT reel talent shines

The Star

3 days ago

YOUTHS are often seen on social media, posting a wide range of content – from selfies to videos of their escapades.
But they are rarely seen reporting on an inspirational person featured in the news.
When the opportunity to do just that came recently, Phan Yi Ting, Diane Marie Victor and Leslie Christopher Anbiah Paul rose to the challenge.
Their effort earned them first place in The Star's Reels of Achievers Recognised (StarROAR) Junior Reporter Contest, held as part of The Star's Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) programme in partnership with IACT College.
The trio, who received RM1,000 worth of e-wallet credits for their win, were celebrated at a prize-giving ceremony at the college on May 13.
The contest, which ran from Feb 17 to March 30, was open to all IACT College students. It required participants to record a three-minute Instagram reel of themselves – either individually or in groups – sharing about an inspirational person featured on The Star's print or digital platforms, in the style of a news reporter. All 56 participants were mass communication students.
Winners were selected based on content accuracy, creativity, integration of The Star, and the popularity of the reel.
Buoyed by his team's win, Leslie Christopher encouraged fellow students to take part in future editions of the contest.
'Stay creative and don't hold yourself back. Don't feel disappointed if your first try doesn't work out, because eventually you'll start going where you want to be,' he said.
Bernadette Gloria Orange – who, together with Elissa Damia Borhan, won second place – said posting her first-ever speaking video on social media was nerve-wracking, as she felt insecure about how her followers would react.
'The contest opened a new door for me, and I actually got a few opportunities to do it again. So my advice would be to just go for it!' she said.
Both Bernadette and Elissa Damia won RM700 worth of e-wallet credits.
Third-place winner Nurlis Atika Ali Umar – who teamed up with Melissa Audreyna Royan – said she learnt how journalism works and what it truly means to be a reporter.
'This contest was very helpful for me to pursue a possible career in journalism,' she said.
The duo earned RM400 worth of e-wallet credits for their win.
All winners received a certificate of achievement, and all participants were awarded a certificate of appreciation.
Also present at the event were IACT College chief executive officer Timothy Chan Liem Joe, head of academics Nicola Wong Oi-Pyn, and Star Media Group (SMG) Circulation senior manager Karthigesu Muniyandi.
In her opening speech, Wong emphasised that in today's fast-paced digital era, responsible journalism is more crucial than ever, as the public increasingly depends on quick and easily accessible news.
'Social media itself has certainly transformed the way news is delivered, making it faster and more interactive than ever before.
'Yet, this speed comes with a cost – often at the risk of overshadowing the need to be factual and accurate.
'The StarROAR Junior Reporter Contest is designed with this in mind; it challenges aspiring journalists to harness the speed of social media while upholding the value of truth, fairness and clarity,' she said.
Addressing the students, Karthigesu highlighted that SMG has long upheld its role as a leading English-language media organisation in Malaysia, committed to serving a diverse audience through its mission of being the 'people's paper'.
'Our goal is simple: to get young people interested in real journalism again and to see your fresh, creative takes on how news works in the digital age,' he said.
The StarROAR Junior Reporter Contest, introduced this year to encourage tertiary students to hone their language and presentation skills, is in line with Star-NiE's commitment to nurturing media literacy and communication excellence among youths.
For Star-NiE enquiries, email [e-mail].