By Friar Jorgerson Japar, OFM
JOHOR BAHRU – The Malacca-Johore Diocese, in collaboration with SIGNIS Malaysia, successfully hosted an online workshop on Social Communication Journalism on May 11-12, 2024. This virtual event, conducted via the Zoom Meeting platform, was organized in conjunction with the 58th World Communications Day. It attracted 73 participants from across Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, including priests, religious brothers and sisters, and lay people.
The workshop featured two main sessions, each designed to equip attendees with essential skills in social media messaging and content editing.
Session 1: Social Media Messaging
The first session focused on the essentials of concise storytelling, emphasizing the delivery of impactful messages within a short span of time. Participants learned the art of crafting compelling narratives and conveying key messages effectively, a critical skill in today’s fast-paced media landscape. This session aimed to enhance the ability of Catholic communicators to engage their audiences meaningfully on social media platforms.
Session 2: Editing Social Media Content
The second session delved into the world of mobile journalism, highlighting the power of smartphones as tools for capturing, editing, and sharing news stories. Participants explored mobile journalism ethics and engaged in practical hands-on exercises, gaining valuable insights into producing professional-quality content using their mobile devices. This session underscored the accessibility and practicality of mobile technology in modern journalism.
The workshop was led by two distinguished speakers:
Hailing from Singapore, Augustine Anthuvan is a former Executive Producer at Channel NewsAsia, Mediacorp, and a senior TV journalist. With extensive experience in media literacy facilitation and as one of Singapore’s experienced media trainers, Anthuvan brought a wealth of knowledge to the workshop. He currently serves as a Media Training Consultant for SIGNIS Malaysia, part of SIGNIS, the World Catholic Association for Communication.
Based in Kuala Lumpur but originally from Kapit, Sarawak, Dexter Anthony is the Creative Director and Film Director of All Things Creative. With experience working on commercial projects, Anthony provided practical insights into the creative aspects of social media content production.
Participants expressed their appreciation for the valuable insights and practical skills gained during the workshop. “This workshop has equipped me with new skills and a deeper understanding of integrating my faith into my work as a Social Communicator,” shared Felicia Rinto of St Joseph Church, Plentong, here.
Another participant, Clayton Andrew, shared that the workshop definitely helped him to generate more ideas on how to produce interesting and attention-capturing videos and images for his parish’s social media platforms.
Friar Marvin Jackson Vincent Voo, OFM, also mentioned that one of the things he appreciated in the workshop was the chance for participants to share resources and ideas to produce content for social media platforms. “Most of the shared information was new to me even though I have been serving in the Social Communication field for a few years now,” he said.
