SINGAPORE - Young aspiring journalists in Singapore can soon tap a new programme teaching them skills such as creative writing, storytelling and photography. It will also offer them access to internships and mentorships at SPH Media.
It will begin in January and is organised by SPH Media and the National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA) Council.
The programme will be aimed at students in junior colleges, the Institute of Technical Education, polytechnics and universities, SPH Media and the NYAA Council said in a statement on Tuesday.
SPH Media chief executive Teo Lay Lim and NYAA Council executive director James Soh inked an agreement outlining the programme on Tuesday at SPH Media’s office in Braddell.
It was witnessed by Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies Heng Swee Keat, who is chairman of the NYAA Council’s advisory board, at an event that included an awards presentation ceremony for the winners of the National Writing Competition.
Under the programme, students will take part in focus group sessions every quarter on youth media consumption habits, the evolution of news coverage and platforms, and the utilisation of digital applications and tools. They will also be involved in the development of SPH Media’s products.
Ms Teo said it is important for the firm to understand the interests and media consumption habits of young audiences and continue to engage them. “Through this partnership with the NYAA Council, we hope to identify news content youth are seeking, and how we can connect with them, from medium to frequency. We are delighted to partner the council and tap its network to co-create and shape our products to make them more relevant for our young audience.”
Mr Soh said young people must be empowered to take climate change seriously. “The writing competition is one good platform where we can engage our youth to develop sustainable solutions for a more sustainable future for Singapore. We have a moral obligation to do this today, not tomorrow.”
The topic of this year’s writing competition, organised by the two organisations, is “Towards A Sustainable Singapore: How Youth Can Make A Difference”. It ran from Jan 20 to Feb 4 and received over 300 entries from students of all educational levels. The students were invited to share their ideas on how young people can contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle.
Six winners were selected by a panel of judges based on their creativity and ability to present their ideas and solutions.
The first prize went to Ms Deborah Lee, 20, a medical student at Nanyang Technological University, for her essay, Go Green, in which she makes the case for a smartphone app to promote sustainable habits among youth. She won a cash prize of $1,000 and a Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 news tablet with a one-year subscription to The Straits Times. “I think it’s important to do my part by sharing ideas, and I wanted to participate in this competition to challenge myself in this regard,” she said.
Second prize winner Rakshita Murugan, 18, has just completed her studies at Eunoia Junior College and intends to study law. Her essay, titled Project Money Plant, won her $500 and the tablet.
Mr Nicholas Ong, 25, won the third prize of $300 and the tablet for his essay, The “3Green” Youth-centric Framework. The recent geography graduate from the National University of Singapore (NUS) will study to become a teacher.
Three merit prizes of $100 cash and the Samsung tablet each went to Mr Bryan Voon, 24, from NUS, Ms Celeste Chua, 19, from Raffles Institution, and Ms Olivia Law, 18, from Yishun Innova Junior College.
