WHEN I first took on this internship with the Sarawak Tribune, I was full of excitement and ready to learn. I have always been interested in journalism and was keen to experience it for myself.
At the same time, I was nervous. It was not the interviews that made me feel this way but the idea of fitting in and asking others in the media for help.
In journalism, people often support each other but it is also a fast-moving field where everyone wants to get the news out first and find the best angle. Because of that, I was unsure if others would be open to helping me.
To be honest, I did not ask for much help because I was always scared to ask for help. I tended to stay quiet and watched how others worked instead. I only asked questions when I really needed to.
I have loved writing for as long as I can remember. It has always been the best way for me to express my thoughts. So I thought journalism would come naturally to me. But I soon realised that writing news was not the same as writing casually.
Journalism is a special skill. It is about finding facts, checking them and then presenting them clearly to the public. It sounds easy but it is actually very hard work.
You always need to be quick and think carefully. You have to find the right point of view, tell the story in a smooth way, and still be early enough so that the story is still fresh. It sometimes feels like a race.
But despite all the pressures, I truly enjoyed it.
I have learnt a lot during my time with the Sarawak Tribune. Watching experienced journalists write strong stories in a short amount of time was amazing.
I was trying to improve my time management and creativity under pressure but I still struggled. Even so, this pushed me to do better and made me more eager to grow.
I do not want to just write stories and send them in. I want to enjoy the process, improve my skills and produce work that I am proud of.
It is even better when I get to learn from kind people who are open to teaching instead of judging.
Out of all the moments during my internship, my favourite experience was joining the Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) sitting.
It was priceless to see how the media played a role in covering something so important. I was truly thankful for the chance to be a small part of the team behind the facts we all read and relied on every day.
Overall, I have many wonderful memories with the Sarawak Tribune.
This internship has shown me what journalism is really like. It has made me realise how much I want to be part of this field and continue learning from it.
