Five aspiring reporters receive journalism scholarships from SPH Media
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Ms Kyleen Cabael (left) and Ms Li Jiahan (right) are recipients of the SPH Media Journalism Scholarship, while Mr Daniel Lai is a recipient of the SPH Media-Temasek Foundation Scholarship.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
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SINGAPORE – Just a month into her internship with The Straits Times, Ms Kyleen Cabael, 22, was already pitching her own idea for a story for the publication.
The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) undergraduate had chanced upon two acquaintances who, in March, posted Instagram stories with a disclaimer to their followers to block anyone claiming to have nudes of them.
A scammer had threatened to distribute deepfake nudes of them unless they agreed to transfer money to a bank account.
Upon learning that her friends knew of similar victims, Ms Cabael decided to report on the topic of deepfake sextortion to caution others. Her story was published
When a friend’s mother cautioned her son to be wary of such scams after reading her article, Ms Cabael, a second-year English undergrad at NTU, realised the impact she had made.
“I feel most proud of this story, considering it started from ground zero. My peers had been dealing with these scams and no one had been reporting on it,” she said.
Ms Cabael, who studied creative writing for TV and new media at Singapore Polytechnic, is one of five recipients of the SPH Media Journalism Scholarship in 2024. They received their scholarships from SPH Media Trust chairman Khaw Boon Wan at a ceremony at SPH News Centre on July 24.
SPH Media’s journalism scholarships provide full tuition, a monthly allowance and practical experience through internship opportunities. Recipients commit to serving a three- to six-year bond in the media company upon graduation.
Another journalism scholarship recipient is Ms Li Jiahan, 20, who will pursue her studies in human, social, and political sciences at the University of Cambridge in the UK in October.
The Hwa Chong Institution graduate completed a two-month internship with Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao in April. During her stint, Ms Li interviewed an elderly man who continues to take part in marathons despite his age.
“I got to learn how to source for news instead of just waiting for assignments,” she said.
As the vice-president of the publications society in her junior college, Ms Li had coordinated school podcasts and organised dialogues with journalists from The Straits Times at her school, while actively crafting and editing school publications.
Three SPH Media-Temasek Foundation scholarships were also handed out on July 24.
The scholarship is open to students from the National University of Singapore (NUS) department of communications and new media or those pursuing data science and economics, and political science at NUS.
Those studying public policy and global affairs at NTU or are in the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at the university also qualify. Awardees will be given internship opportunities, including a one-year paid traineeship upon graduation.
Mr Daniel Lai, 24, is one of the scholarship’s recipients.
Mr Daniel Lai with his parents, Mr Michael Lai and Madam Julie Lim, during the SPH Media Scholarship Awards Ceremony 2024.
ST PHOTOI: LIM YAOHUI
During an exchange programme at the University of Hong Kong, the NUS political science undergraduate came across a book on journalism ethics, which sparked his interest in journalism. He hopes to report on South-east Asian topics and domestic affairs after graduation.
Mr Lai said: “I hope to be a compassionate reporter and understand how to be able to strike a balance between portraying the truth while respecting my newsmakers’ boundaries.”
SPH Media chief executive officer Chan Yeng Kit said that journalism helps the public to understand the complexities of global issues and fosters a sense of global citizenship in today’s interconnected world. “It is important that we look out for talents and invest in them,” he said.
Separately, ST’s Taiwan correspondent Yip Wai Yee and Indonesia bureau chief Arlina Arshad will be starting a three-month fellowship at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University later in 2024.
Ms Sharanya Pillai, a correspondent at The Business Times, and Ms Cheryl Ong, a senior social media specialist at Lianhe Zaobao, will head to Tsinghua School of Journalism and Communication in Beijing later in 2024 for a similar three-month fellowship.
Ms Venessa Lee, a senior correspondent at ST, has just been named one of the Institute of Policy Studies News Fellows 2024, and will be starting a three-month fellowship in September.
