I must admit, as a student still finding my footing in journalism, joining the Global News Forum (GNF) in Sydney was both thrilling and terrifying. Travelling alone from Malaysia, waiting anxiously for my visa and planning the trip myself pushed me far beyond my comfort zone. Nevertheless, the experience was worth more than 10 classes on campus.

The most memorable part was the Media Information Literacy Workshop on the third day. In university classes and journalism events, we are often told to ask, double-check and fact-check. But what do we do after that? Through a group exercise involving a tsunami announcement, I worked with news leaders from India and Bhutan, who brought valuable experience in responding to natural disasters. For the first time, I learned who to ask, where to seek information and what questions to ask during a crisis. More importantly, I realised that a journalist’s responsibility goes beyond informing the public. It also means helping people navigate uncertainty during difficult moments.

I also had the opportunity to present VoiceLah!, our student-led newsroom at the University of Wollongong Malaysia, to fellow delegates. Sharing our experience of producing  stories, conducting vox pops and engaging with student perspectives allowed me to exchange ideas with media representatives from across the region, while reflecting on how student journalism can contribute to a wider media landscape. This presentation also gave us an opportunity to reflect the responsibility of the incubation unit in nurturing future media journalists.

Standing among newsroom leaders and media professionals from across the region, I felt proud to be the only student in the room. Conversations with delegates gave me a glimpse into the realities behind a newsroom: the risks of reporting on site, the coordination behind an incident, and the people working beyond the final story. GNF reminded me that journalism is much bigger than what we encounter in the classroom.

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Written by: Liew Ti Tian (Elly), President of VoiceLah!