KUCHING: Thirteen interns from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) had stepped into the newsroom without knowing what to be expected along the journey, with most only having the experience in writing assignments and assessments for the class.
June 6, where all the interns will embark on their last hurray in finishing their internship and walking their next step with anticipation on what the real working life as a staff for a company would be like, rather than as a trainee.
At first, things were unclear for the interns as they have not had the experience in conducting interviews and chasing stories from an interesting angle.
Sarawak Tribune managed to speak to a few interns about their experiences in doing internship as a reporter and how they see themselves working in the field.
LAKESH KUMAR CHANDRAN, 24
Sarawak Tribune trainee reporter
To be honest, at first the internship period was tough for me since it is the newest experience that I ever had. But as time goes by, I do learn a lot especially about writing and covering events, process press releases and my most favourite write-up, feature writing. All experiences that I gained were something that I will cherish forever where I get to learn to be humble, learn as much as I can since the purpose for the internship is to learn. If I am seeing myself as a reporter anytime ahead, I would say I have not decided about it yet, but who knows, maybe sometime someday.
GILLIAN NESSLYN DUBLIN, 24
Sarawak Tribune trainee reporter
Honestly, it has been quite a journey for me as it has been both challenging and rewarding. Literally every day is a new experience for me, whether it is covering functions or interviewing people, all of it helped me to understand what it is like to be in a newsroom. It was quite daunting for me as an introverted person at first, but as I settled in, I started to really enjoy and was very grateful to be given the opportunity to have hands-on experience. During the internship, I learned how to structure news and feature articles more effectively and conduct interviews professionally. Even now, there is still a little bit of doubt that I have for myself, but I can see myself growing into the role because I like the idea of meeting new people.
NURSYAZRINE ARIZZA SUZALEE, 24
Suara Sarawak trainee reporter
For the past three months as a trainee reporter, all I can say is that the experience that I have was unique and hard to find elsewhere. It really opened my eyes to the world of newsroom from the process of writing news to the on-site experience conducting tasks. I feel very blessed to be guided by the senior who is always been there helping us to understand the etiquette and role of a reporter where it trained me to be outside of my comfort zone. Even some of my friends who are doing their internship elsewhere are jealous of the experiences that I gained, the real experience on the job. I also learned to think quicker than before, especially during spontaneous interviews and better in managing time and my schedule. If I am being given the chance, I would say that I still want to learn more about the work as I am still adjusting myself to the challenges and fun of the newsroom work field.
ANIQ AZFAR ABDUL AZIZ, 24
Suara Sarawak trainee reporter
I have found my internship to be valuable because it has given me hands-on practice on reporting, writing and video editing. The urgency of every task is real, which I learned on how to do everything quickly but with quality, where reliable research must be done to support the news pieces. I felt grateful and excited throughOut the internship and I enjoyed the fast-paced environment. Overall, the experience taught me how to work more professionally and do more writings which at first, I feared. I can see myself working as a reporter for a long time because now, I enjoy writing and sharing important stories with people. The job might be challenging but I like the environment and face new things every day.
