Faculty of Humanities « Showcase Student Stories

Experience to Work in the Media

WONG Mei-sze Karen || BA (Hons) Language Studies for the Profession || CCTV, Beijing

Being on the front line of the mainland media industry, Wong Mei-sze Karen experienced one of the most rewarding and unforgettable moments of her life and developed an interest in world affairs.

Under the arrangements of the Hong Kong United Youth Association (HKUYA), Karen worked as an intern at the national television station, CCTV, and assisted on the production of The Observer, a popular TV programme on the CCTV2 economic channel, during the one-month placement. “Every morning, the producers, editors, commentators and all the student interns gathered to discuss the biggest news of the day and decide the daily topic to work on,” she says.

Effective communication and presentation skills are imperative in the mass media. The training at the mainland TV station which is viewed by an audience of over one billion every day has boosted the Karen’s communication skills. “Every decision needs to be made within a very short time. To play an active role, I had to present my opinions precisely and skillfully. This daily practice has significantly improved my communication skills,” says Karen.

Karen once followed the reporters to interview the chief analyst of the Bank of China, Ms. Tan Yaling, which was featured in a special series, China-US Strategic Dialogue. Karen recalls: “Although the topic was complicated, the reporter presented it in a comprehensible way. I learnt how messages could be conveyed clearly and effectively to diverse audience group.” She was also impressed by the interviewee’s wittiness.

Quality is the first priority

Karen was inspired by the professionalism of the mainland journalists. She found that her colleagues in Beijing placed a lot of focus on the content and quality of the show. “They spent a lot of time and resources in choosing the topic, doing research and editing. Also, every comment from the guest speakers has to be screened to ensure accurate messages are communicated,” she says.

The internship opportunity also completely changed Karen’s impression about the mainland working culture. “My colleagues could manage many tasks in a single day. They set the topic, conducted the interviews and discussed the content. They also collected comments and cartoons from netizens, editing films and having the programme broadcasted. They are highly efficient,” says Karen.

While her knowledge about the media industry has been deepened, she now has a better understanding about her career goal and herself as a person. “Working in the media is challenging as you need to be knowledgeable enough to handle massive information from various fields and subjects. Meanwhile, it is also very interesting as you will meet many people from various backgrounds and professions,” she says.

“I do enjoy the challenges and the tight schedule of the media industry. The experience has certainly helped me identify my career interest. This is my goal after graduation.”

Rating: 3.7/5 (10 votes cast)

Learning as a Teacher

HO Wing-in Renee || BA (Hons) Language Studies for the Professions || Lismore Public School, Australia

Through the internship programme organised by the Southern Cross University in Australia, Hong Kong student Ho Wing-in Renee gained access to a different education system which opened her mind.

She was assigned to work in Lismore Public School, a government school with around 300 students and 40 staff. Apart from normal education, the school also provides specialised and individualised learning for children with disabilities. “I am impressed by its balanced curriculum which aims to provide equal opportunities and rights for children with special needs,” Renee remarks.

She once joined a music lesson catering for a small group of kids with intellectual disabilities. “The kids enjoyed the music very much. They smiled and moved their bodies to the music happily. I was delighted to see these disabled kids being able to enjoy school life. In Australia, the comprehensive education system has well catered for their special needs,” Renee comments.

Inspiring moments at school

As a teaching assistant in the school, the Language Studies student assisted in different classes and participated in different school events. “During my stay in the school, I spent most of my time in a kindergarten class. It was such a joyful experience as I could play with a group of adorable kids and assist in teaching them,” she says. Renee also took the initiative to help the teacher-in-charge in a range of administrative work. “Despite most of the works such as photocopying being trivial tasks, I took each task seriously and figured out the most efficient ways to finish them,” Renee says.

Every Friday, the school organises a weekly assembly with different themes. Renee was particularly enlightened by an assembly on the theme of the refugee problem in Australia and featuring a slideshow that displayed different Australian refugee camps in the past decades. “I realised the issue about African people living in Australia and the refugee problem in this developed country. At the end of the assembly, everyone sang a song which advocated the idea of building harmony among different ethnic groups,” she says. “It was a meaningful assembly which raised people’s awareness about a global problem and promoted the idea of social harmony.”

Renee experienced many enjoyable and unforgettable moments. “I had a lesson with some older kids from Grade One and Grade Two. I shared with them my life in Hong Kong. They were very excited to know more about my homeland and kept asking me questions related to Hong Kong,” she says.

Renee thinks the internship experience has helped her cultivate a positive attitude at work and has broadened her horizons. “In a working environment, a good employee should be honest, hard-working and punctual. During my internship, I learnt to take initiative and offer help to my colleagues. Most importantly, I realised quality education is essential for nurturing future leaders and making one country strong,” Renee says.

Rating: 4.1/5 (10 votes cast)

The Path to Professionalism

HUNG Yip-shing || BA (Hons) Language Studies for the Professions || Sing Tao Daily New York, USA

Hung Yip-shing always has an interest in the media industry. Rewarded a chance to be an intern at the newspaper, Sing Tao Daily New York, Yip-shing got a taste of the challenging yet bittersweet life of a reporter and a better picture of the working environment of a newsroom.

As a reporter, Yip-shing conducted interviews and wrote stories based on the facts and information he collected. It was not easy for the newcomer of New York. “I usually got one or two assignments every day. I was assigned to most of the events right before they started. Since I was not a New Yorker, I usually reserved an hour as buffer to find the right route to my destination. It was kind of an adventure to me every time,” says Yip-shing, majoring in Language and Communication.

It also took Yip-shing some time to catch the American’s accent and pace of talking. “It was a hurdle, especially when I was in press briefings and conferences. Americans speak so fast that I could barely follow. I was not used to their accent either,” he says. “The challenge was that I could not miss any details and I didn’t want to waste other people’s time by raising the same questions.”

Conscious of professional journalism

Working in the newspaper also taught him the media ethics and professionalism. Yip-shing was triggered to think seriously about the morale and responsibility of a reporter and the media after reporting a Chinese woman severely injured in a car accident. When he tried to shoot some photos of the scene and the injured woman, he was immediately stopped by a cop who considered his action as inhuman and cruel. “My mind went blank at that moment and I didn’t know how to respond and what to do. I then waited for my senior partner for assistance and advice,” says Yip-shing.

Under the seven-week training and on-the-job practice provided by Sing Tao, Yip-shing gradually picked up the skills to be a good reporter. He reckons writing an interesting lead to introduce a story is one of the most useful skills he learnt. “An attractive lead is important because it gives readers the first impression of the story. Knowing what to be included and how to write a good lead benefited me a lot,” Yip-shing says.

He also learnt to find a good angle for the story and report a balanced news. His critical and analytical thinking has also strengthened through the training in the media. “This internship experience has definitely sharpened my edge and enhanced my competitiveness when looking for a job upon my graduation,” he says.

Yip-shing was so grateful to have this fulfilling training in New York and thinks students should be proactive in looking for internship opportunities. “I am now taking a more proactive attitude to learn and improve myself. This will be the key to success. Just aim for making a little improvement every single day and you will see the difference it makes in the long run,” he says.

Rating: 4.6/5 (11 votes cast)