KUALA LUMPUR: As the media sector faces a variety of challenges, its members must learn to adapt and grow.
National Press Club of Malaysia (NPC) deputy president Haresh Deol reminded a group of young journalists that it is never too late for those in the industry to continue learning and picking up new skills.
"It has been a challenging time for journalists and journalism in Malaysia and worldwide. There is a lot of noise and distractions, and it is important for us to rise above them all.
"One way of doing this is by upskilling. We must evolve and be ready to quickly pivot. We must also be sensitive to the demands of our audience," he said in his opening remarks at the NPC Professional Development Series (PDS) programme.
The one-day event, which is part of a series of 10 programmes that will be held nationwide, saw the participation of 40 media personnel from various organisations, including the New Straits Times Press Group, Astro Awani, and representatives from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
He said the programme is broken up into a series of modules that cover a wide scope of topics including the evolving cybersecurity landscape, data storytelling, and code of ethics.
He expressed his appreciation to MCMC as NPC's main partner for the event and other partners including Institut Penyiaran dan Penerangan Tun Abdul Razak (IPPTAR), Telum Media, and the Crisis Management Centre.
Among the trainers involved in the first NPC PDS today were MCMC head of investigation, Akmal Hamdy Baharudin, Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia executive director Mediha Mahmood, and Dataxet managing director Chris Seto.
The next NPC PDS will be held on Jan 11 at IPPTAR in Kuala Lumpur.