IN this age of Twitter jargon, super computer-generated imagery and nano technology, it was quite heartening to discover that journalism and old school writing still have a place in the hearts of the young and very much restless. I found this out last Friday when I was invited to talk about the subject with a group of mainly Form Five students of SMK USJ 23.
And having retired from formal newsroom operations after many years in the business, I came away quite satisfied that there were great prospects that the baton held by many of us in the industry could indeed be passed on, although most newspaper companies are struggling to find the right talents.
About 70 students sat through the talk, which was part of the school’s career development programme, and I was so glad to be part of it.
In fact, it is something I have always liked to do — provide guidance to the young on the art of writing, even more so since Friday’s event involved students from the lower end of the suburb. The teacher in charge advised me before the start that I had better not speak in heavy English. Of course not.
The main purpose was to communicate with the group, so I carried on in Bahasa Malaysia with a smattering of English. Basically, the everyday Malaysian language which I knew youngsters in the audience, such as Khairil Akmar, Zulaikha Rosman, Sebastian Kang and Mohd Afiq Fariq, were at ease with.
Sebastian, in fact, was comfortable enough to tell me he was a big fan of Chelsea football club.
The language issue, by the way, was a basic premise I had to make clear with the students. I told them that if they chose to be a journalist or a writer, it would not matter what language they sought to write in as long as they stayed true to the rules of that language.
I had, before that, thrown a question to them, asking what newspapers they read everyday. Many said they did not read newspapers at all. A few said yes, Harian Metro and Kosmo, while one or two mentioned the English papers.
So, I told them if they wanted to choose writing as a career, it was very important for them to remember that the task before them was for the purpose of communication, writing to an audience and not to themselves.
However, they cannot use Twitter language with illegible abbreviations and gibberish slang, no matter how easy they feel with it. Language, such as “gi tt jap” for “Let’s go for teh tarik”, is a definite no-no.
That was when I was asked what grades were required of a person wanting to be a journalist. Swell, because this indicated interest.
My answer was simple: that to be a journalist you do not necessarily have to be a graduate majoring in English or any of the languages. Neither is it vital for you to memorise the dictionary and master the big words. But you must be proficient enough to be straight and accurate in relating your message and not make a fool of yourself by not knowing the difference between distress and de-stress.
They also wanted to know, as expected, how much a journalist is paid. I told them the paper qualifications of the people in the newsroom could range from SPM to PhD.
On entry, salaries would go according to market rates as per qualification. But from there, the prospects for promotion would mostly depend on performance. If for some reason the SPM-holder is outstanding in the job, he could even end up above the degree holder in position and salary. This really got them very excited.
I also told them that unlike mathematical formulas and scientific theories, which are dead set and uncompromising, writing depends much on creativity and is very flexible so long as the mind is focused.
Of course, more important, I kept telling them about the interest and commitment that came with the job together with all kinds of sacrifices.
After all, news is 24-7 and you have to do the chasing all the time — the stories and the deadlines.
I left with a feeling of warmth. At least half in the crowd looked interested.
The writer, an award-winning columnist, is a freelance writer