News coverage of 36th Convocation: Of exposure, experience, and writing skills

By Aznan Mat Piah

The recent IIUM 36th convocation ceremony has seen our news portal IIUMToday giving interesting coverage of the event, the work of which is very much attributed to the role student journalists played as demonstrated by their passion and motivation in carrying out their assignments diligently.

The fact speaks for itself as they put in their best efforts to produce excellent coverage.

The news coverage on the convocation had brought to the notice of some 47,000 readership during the eight-day convocation, according to the portal’s coordinator, Dr. Wan Norshira Wan Mohd Ghazali. Not only that the website coverage had gained increased readership, but the social media of this news portal too had garnered a favourable response from readers.

The journalists had captured interesting human interest values in their stories that ranged from how graduates became high achievers, the extra-ordinary journey of the award winners, to issues and challenges they faced during online and remote learning during the lockdown and pandemic. The graduands’ achievements were vividly shared as they celebrated their graduation and brought pride to their parents, siblings, and family.

If readers were to pay close attention to the highlights of the news items on the convocation, they would have noticed that there were a lot of great inspirations that could be drawn from top management of the university apart from the graduands themselves who openly shared their views and feelings with our reporters.

The opening addresses by IIUM Rector carried inspirational messages that served as a good take away for many graduates who would be entering the field as professionals at the national and global settings, where knowledge acquired during their days at the university, could be utilised or applied for the benefit of society at large.

For this role, three journalists received appreciation letters from the Rector for successfully highlighting key messages in their reporting of the convocation. The three are Aneesah Ishak, Ameerah Angelina and Maryam Jameela who showed great enthusiasm in their journalistic roles. Notwithstanding that recognition, the appreciation is also an acknowledgment of the contribution of the total efforts delivered by the team at the news portal.

In one news item, the journalist highlighted what the Rector had said about education at IIUM: “Education with value and ethics will be the education that will make a difference, but if used without care, it will destroy the world.” In this story, the Rector noted that education today tends to be almost devoid of values, ethics, and sometimes soul, which led to many mishaps in the world.

The Rector continued, “You are different because IIUM graduates are equipped with value and ethics and the understanding of soul at the same time. Graduates that can be compassionate, empathetic, and sympathetic and committed to the cause of mankind.”

In another report, the journalist highlighted the Rector telling graduates from Kulliyyah of Pharmacy and Kulliyyah of Science: “In this time of never-ending pandemic, scientists like all of you are the hope of the ummah to lead, discover and innovate in addressing a very old problem”. “All of it”, he said, “has been highlighted in the university which emphasises principles, ethics, and humanising life of people.”

Speaking to Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws (AIKOL) graduates, the Rector was reported to have said that graduates from the Kulliyyah have the advantage of possessing a deep understanding of both legal systems – conventional and Islamic – adopted in our country and such tradition and legacy should continue. 

Meanwhile, the President was reported to have urged graduates with PhD qualification to utilise research as a powerful tool to conduct research to give back to society.

The news item highlighted the call by the President on graduates to always be humble with everyone, and never look down on others as “humility is the perfect mirror of intellect”. He said life would be more meaningful, purposeful, and impactful if we can convert the high quality in the mind into anything that benefits the society.

Most of what these graduates had expressed were well captured in the reports and would be a good source of motivation to the students who are still pursuing their journey as undergraduates or post-graduates and would want to aspire for similar achievement.

Among the noticeable sharing by the graduands were their experience about having a strong support system coming from parents, husbands or spouses, friends and classmates; a story of never giving up despite twice being rejected to join the university; the spirit of dad that accompanied graduand to receive the scroll; the success story of the disabled; four times the joy of siblings graduating at the same time; consistency being the key to success; on the need for balanced education; of tears and posthumous degrees; of motivation, hardship and endurance; and of positivity and faith in Allah.

The assignment highlights successfully carried out by student journalists were not just extraordinary but impactful to both the university and to themselves as well, which many would treasure in their life.

Apart from giving them a good exposure to news coverage of the university’s historic event, the exercise had provided them with the opportunity at improving in their news reporting, news writing and interviewing skills. Such opportunity also allowed students to nurture their social skills and helped to build self-confidence.

It is hoped that more students, especially those in their first, second and third year of their undergraduate, would look forward to joining IIUMToday, an online news portal meant for the campus community. Indeed, it is a useful platform where it would not only benefit them in terms of journalistic experience, but from the portfolios they would gain that put them at great advantage to join the industry upon graduation. ***

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