Highlights/ Achievements

Alumni and Industry Experts Share Insights on PR and Digital Media

Loh Hui Ping (leftmost) sharing one of the creative methods her agency employs to build a good and positive rapport with journalists during her virtual sharing session with TAR UC students

 

The Covid-19 pandemic may have created challenges in the higher education ecosystem, but at the same time it presents opportunities for TAR UC students to learn and embrace future trends in public relations and digital media so that they can be prepared for their careers in the near future.

To this effect, TAR UC's Faculty of Communication and Creative Industries (FCCI) organised three virtual sharing sessions featuring TAR UC alumni and industry experts to share their insights on social media, online public writing, and media relations, amongst others, in the field of public relations and digital media.

Josephine Phang, a 2017 Bachelor of Public Relations (Hons) graduate got the ball rolling on 30 March 2021 in her "Writing for Digital PR, Social Media and Websites" session that highlighted how to tailor messages, choose the right platforms, target audiences effectively and utilise search engine optimisation to maximise informational reach and awareness.

On 19 April 2021, TAR UC welcomed two alumni during a virtual sharing session aimed to highlight the principles and obligations that cause frictions between public relations and journalism.

Loh Hui Ping, Head of Strategy, Thinking Cap Studios and Farah Marshita Abdul Patah, President of the National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJM) presented two facets of this interdependent relationship while exposing students to the importance and creative tactics to build and maintain positive rapport with media practitioners via a good working relationship such as pitching newsworthy stories.

Finally, industry veterans Nur Jeevan Guna Segar, Managing Director at Entity Digital, Vanita Mani Thevaratnam, former accounting director at Arcis Communications, and Sharmila Theenathayalu, Head of Communications of INTI Education Group, highlighted one of the most vital upcoming trends, namely online-based writing via "Writing for the Web" session presented virtually on 15 April 2021.
The guest speakers gave students a well-rounded view of challenges and tips in writing online contents from three different perspectives: content creators who are the media owners, PR agencies and organisations’ corporate communications departments.

The session generated lively discussions and also a section showcasing practical ideas from students followed by constructive critiques from the industry experts. Participating students walked away with a better grasp of how to approach and evaluate the effectiveness of online writing, which will help them in navigating between PR effort, clients’ expectations and ethical considerations.

Staying true to TAR UC’s “Beyond Education” philosophy, FCCI believes that insights and shared experiences like these go beyond textbooks and examinations, and through interactions with industry experts, they prove fruitful in exposing students to skill sets relevant to their future workplace.

 

All three sharing sessions receive positive responses from TAR UC students, and have attracted participants from TAR UC's Penang, Perak and Johor Branch Campuses as well.

        
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