22 > Horizons September - October Issue

A full house hung onto every word as the speakers shared their perspectives about the media industry, the direction it is currently heading in, and what we as industry practitioners can do to keep up with the ever-changing world of online media. True to their job descriptions as media experts, all four speakers managed to intrigue, captivate and entertain the audience all at the same time as they framed complex topics and ideologies in simple layman’s terms.

After the seminar, three student members of the MDIS Media Club got a chance to sit down and have a chat with each of the four speakers.

Using Communications, Social Media & Technology in the Media Industry

On the 10th October, the MDIS School of Media and Communications and Oklahoma City University held a career seminar for its students. Held in the spacious MDIS Residences’ auditorium, the two-hour-long session featured four distinguished speakers from the media industry: namely, Mr Jonathan Ng of Singapore Press Holdings; Miss Lai Lei Khim from the Media Development Authority of Singapore; Mr John O’ Callaghan of Edelman Southeast Asia; and the Honourable President Mr Robert H. Henry of Oklahoma City University. Faculty members of Oklahoma City University

Horizons September - October Issue > 23

Learning

Mr Jonathan NgEditor, Razor TV

As the Editor for RazorTV, the Singapore Press Holdings’ multimedia arm, Mr Ng is no stranger to the Internet. A strong believer in journalistic responsibility, he believes that – regardless of whether one was writing for the Straits Times or Stomp – one should always report news accurately, ethically, and with integrity; especially when it came to topics that are easily sensationalised or taken out of context.

Mr Ng is adamant that all good reporters should be, above all else, curious and courageous. Not only must he or she be able to ask why, the reporter must also have the tenacity to dig deep to find the truth. This is one of the reasons why he feels that the Singapore Press Holdings is such a good employer. Not only does the company encourage passion and creativity, it also allows one to specialise horizontally across multiple fields and departments, allowing a young reporter to gain a broad-based understanding of the industry.

Lai Lei KhimDirector, Outreach Division, Media Development Authority

Miss Lai is the Director of the Outreach Division at the Media Development

Authority of Singapore and is, despite her imposing title and position, an exceptionally warm and friendly person. As an advocate of media literacy and cyber-wellness, Miss Lai believes that education is the key to helping the public understand how they should behave on the Internet. If people took some time to first understand the nature of digital media and, secondly, the importance of behaving responsibly and ethically while online.

Contrary to popular belief, things are not less important simply because they are on the Internet: instead, the impact one’s actions has are magnified because the Internet is a public space, and whatever one says or does online will likely stay online forever. Freedom of speech notwithstanding, Ms Lai stressed that members of the public should always think twice before saying or doing anything online.

John O’ CallaghanDirector of Publishing & Partnerships, Edelman Group

As a successful journalist who has worked with world-renowned papers such Reuters and the Globe and Mail, Mr O' Callaghan is a preeminent writer with experience working in cities such as Hong Kong, London, Singapore and Washington D.C. In his current position as the Director of Publishing and Partnerships in Edelman’s South-East Asia arm, he has seen the importance of having passion in one’s work and exactly how far that can take someone.

Mr Callaghan believes that uncovering the truth as a journalist does not just require specialist knowledge but, instead, also requires a deeper philosophical understanding of how the world works. Not only will the latter help drive a journalist’s career forward, such an understanding – when coupled with an ethical desire to make the world a better place – will also serve to minimise bias and bigotry when reporting the news.

Robert H. HenryPresident and CEO, Oklahoma City University

In addition to being a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, Mr Henry was also appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit as Chief Judge before becoming the 17th President of Oklahoma University: a role that he still holds to this very day.

While praising the curriculum of MDIS and noting how its students get to experience the best of two very different education systems (the Singaporean and the American), Mr Henry stressed the importance of critical thinking, cynicism, journalistic integrity and social responsibility for media and communication students. Without these qualities and a willingness to work hard, he said, no media professional, no matter how gifted, will be able to succeed in today’s economy.

This article was contributed by Chang Kin Keong, Aiman Shamsul, and Priyamvadha Ramakrishnan.