Journalism covers a various of jobs in a variety of settings. Journalists may work on daily newspapers, local weeklies, tabloids, magazines, trade papers, television and radio.

Newspaper Journalism
In journalism, there are two main areas of work which are collecting and production of material and that of processing it for publication.The first area of work is done by a reporter, while the second area is covered by an editorial team. The organisation structure in a newspaper varies greatly. Titles, functions and division of labour are not consistent throughout the industry.

However in an established newspaper, there are the following job areas:

Reporter
Almost every journalist starts as trainee reporter. A reporters work is rather hectic, usually working at irregular hours. Reporters cover any kind of event, from political meetings to fire to press conferences for visiting film stars. Reporters compose a story by asking questions and listening to interviewees answers at press conferences. They may also conduct one-to-one interviews with individuals.

For such interviews, reporters have to do some homework. To interview a politicans or a famous novelist, for example, requires some background knowledge. Such background knowledge is obtained through personal contacts, library etc. The deadline dictates the amount of time a reporter can spend digging up information. A news story may have to be completed within 12 hours, a feature could take much longer

Reporters have to be able to compose stories quickly. Sometimes dictating them over the phone, sometimes typing them in a noisy office. They also have to be able to use a telex and computer terminals. Accuracy, brevity and speed are more important than writing perfect prose. Reporting is a fact-gathering and fact-disseminating rather than a creative job.

Specialist Reporter
The work of a specialist reporter is to interpret and explain news, and comment on events, trends. causes and news behind the news. The number of specialists varies according to the type and size of newspaper. Reporters with a special interest in a particular field may do specialist along with general reporting. The main specialisations are: Parliament and politics, industry: finance: education; foreign news; sports; fashion; women’s/home interests; theatre; films: broadcasting. Financial reporters tend to be economic graduates; science reporters are science graduates but education reporters are not normally teachers. There are no rules about how specialists acquire their specialist knowledge.

News Editor
This is an office job which involves no writing and is suitable for journalists with organising ability. News editor controls reporting staff, allocates stories to individual reporters and attend senior staff’s daily editorial conferences.

Sub-Editor
The sub-editor checks the copy submitted by the reporters for spelling and grammatical errors. He also devises headlines and consults other editors, designs the layout of newspapers and decides on how much space to allocate to each article. A good story may have to be rejected, or cut up by up to 50% because some world event has to be covered.

Starting from a humble beginning of a rented premise in Setapak, lUCTT’s growth has been rapid. Presently, it; has two campus establishments that are located in Bandar Sri Damansara. These two campuses are fully equipped with modern facilities and amenities, including well-equipped computing suites, engineering laboratories and architectural studios.

The International University College of Technology Twintech’s permanent campus will be in Lembah Beringin which is presently under construction, and is expected to be fully-completed by the year 2005. This new and modern IUCTT campus is only about 40 minutes drive from Kuala Lumpur and will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities

Facts

Podium Level, Block E & F, Sri Damansara Business Park, Pesiaran Industri, Bandar Sri Damansara, 52200 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: +603-6275 1110/6286 1200,
Fax: +603-6277 1463,
Email: staff.admission@iuctt.edu.my

Private Higher Education Institution Established in 1994. Registered with Ministry of Higher Education. Reg. No: B4P8148, with LAN accredited programs.

Vice Chancellor: Prof. Datuk Dr. Ismail Md. Salleh.

Medium of Instruction: English.

No. of Faculties: 7. Academic Staff: 209F/T Lect, 6 P/T

Lect. Qualifications: 10 PhD’s, 74 Masters & 131 Bach. & Professional Qualifications.

Accreditation & Recognition by Professional Bodies: Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Status, SIRIM ISO 9001:2000 & BTEC-HND Award by Edexcel Int’l.

Facilities: Air-conditioned classrooms, lecture theatres, well-stocked library with comprehensive references, online facilities, well-equipped computer & engineering lab., architectural studios, counselling room, portfolio room, exam., multipurpose & exhibition halls, well-equipped sports & recreational centres.

Students Services: Accommodation, counselling , academic advisory & transportation services.

Facilities & Services for Foreign Students: Pre-arrival information, visa application, accommodation, job placement, academic advisory, immigration & renewal of student visa, customs & legal advise, transportation services, clubs & societies. Entry Requirement for Foreign Students: higher education cert.

Courses offered by the University are conducted through its eight faculties, five institutes of research and five centres. There are currently about 5,400 students at the university. For the 2005/2006 academic session, 39 undergraduate programmes are offered. UNIMAS adopts the semester system. Each semester lasts 17 weeks, that is 14 weeks of lectures, 1 week of revision and 2 weeks of examination. A third semester is offered as an option for the students.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia offers various courses leading to Diploma, Bachelor, Postgraduate Diploma, Master and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. The main campus of the University is located at Skudai, Johore and occupies 1,177 hectares. The University also has a branch campus at Kuala Lumpur. The University also runs courses at Kolej Mara, Kulim, Kedah; Akademi Laut Malaysia,Malacca; Tereregganu Advanced Technical Institute, Terengganu; Akademi Tentara Malaysia; Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur; and Kolej Universiti Teknologi Tun Hussein Onn, Batu Pahat, Johore.
Students may enter either into first year or are co-opted into first year (through attending courses at UTM) or second year depending or their individual performance and qualifications. When a student is registered with the University, he/she is allowed to transfer credit hours (depending on the requirements of the Department, Faculty and the University) at the first degree level.

Courses of the University are offered at two levels, namely Diploma and Degree, which are conducted separately. Students taking the integrated courses are required to follow the same lectures in the first two and a half years of study. Students will be evaluated after the two and a half year course to determine whether they will be awarded diplomas or to continue at the degree level.

Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is a public university with a main campus in Penang, Malaysia. There are two other campuses, one in Penang as well, and the other on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, in Kelantan. With around 35,000 students in 2005, USM is the biggest university in terms of enrolled students in Malaysia.

Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is one of three universities in Malaysia that have been identified as research-intensive universities in Malaysia. This is in tandem with its mission and vision to be a world-class university embarking on world class research programmes via strategic planning and implementation of its R&D mechanism. The university has qualified academic staff and excellent human resource support in order to realise its mission. In 2005 USM had around 35,000 students enrolled including 28,000 undergraduates. The number of lecturers was about 1,800, which leads to a student-lecturer ratio of around 1:20.
Boasting highly relevant study programmes, USM has so far attracted graduates and postgraduate students from more than 50 countries all over the world due to the excellent track record in maintaining world class education quality with global recognition. To date, the total enrolment is more than 30,000 students.

USM main campus is located within a tropical island of Penang, Malaysia. There are two USM branch campuses, one at Kubang Kerian in Kelantan (approximately 300km from the main campus) known as Health Campus and the other at Nibong Tebal (approximately 30km from the main campus), known as Engineering Campus. The former houses the School of Medical Sciences, School of Health Sciences and School of Dental Sciences, while the latter houses the six Engineering Schools.

USM has established twenty-four Schools of study, eleven centers and six units. In the field of research, the emphasis is on function oriented or interdisciplinary research. Attention is focused on areas that integrate academic interest and practical relevance, thus directing the scientific thrust towards breakthroughs in problem areas crucial to the quality of lice and national development.

Special Features of USM

1. One of the oldest public university in Malaysia and Southeast Asian region.
2. Officially recognised as ‘Research University’. Intensive effort in R&D successfully produced award winning research projects at international level.
3. Strategic location right in the heart of Southeast Asia. Conducive, harmonious and peaceful campus environment.
4. Multidiscipline study programmes and world recognised graduate and post-graduate degrees.
5. Affordable cost of living, approximately USD5,000 to USD6,500 a year.
6. The first Malaysian university to be represented in the Board of Directors of International Association of Universities (IAU).
7. Representation for Asia in Commonwealth Universities Study Abroad Consortium (CUSAC).
8. Hub for Asian universities network in Education and Development of Human Resources in Material and Mineral Sciences.

Academic Programs

Undergraduate studies

Almost all of undergraduate degree programmes at the University require a minimum full-time residence period of three years. Degrees in engineering, health sciences, pharmacy, medicine and dentistry, however, require minimum periods of study between 4-5 years. Most undergraduate courses are still taught in Bahasa Malaysia but the newer batch of undergraduate students are taught using English, especially in science courses. International students still have to demonstrate a level of proficiency in the national language as part of the entrance criteria.

Graduate studies

USM offers three modes of study for the graduate programmes, i.e. by research, or by a combination of coursework and research (mixed mode), or by coursework. In 2003, there were about 5,122 students in the various study programmes at the master’s and doctoral levels. Almost 11.8% of them are foreign nationals from more than 40 countries. The majority of foreign students are from other parts of Southeast Asia.

Other study programmes

USM has study abroad programme for foreign students, and they can undertake either one or two semester. These students are considered as full-time students and also enjoy the benefits given as far as academic and physical facilities are concerned. The university and its community benefits from the cross-cultural flow of students as well as it gains international standing.

USM also has school of distance education. It was established in 1971 to provide opportunities for local working adults to obtain a tertiary qualification. These students are able to undertake undergraduate courses while still they are in full time employment. At present only four undergraduate programmes are available through distance learning, namely Bachelor of science, bachelor of social science, barchelor of arts, and bachelor of management degrees.

General Admission Information

Universiti Sains Malaysia welcomes those who are interested to be part of the campus citizenry. In line with this, a variety of academic programmes tailored to meet current market needs are on offer. In total, 111 full-time academic programmes and 72 distance learning programmes are offered.

To provide the best options for those interested, the university has currently 24 schools conducting academic programmes and more than 20 centers of excellence specializing in research activities. A variety of facilities are also available to support teaching and learning activities as well as to ensure a comfortable living environment.

The academic program me structure offered at USM is divided into 3 categories, namely :

a) Full-Time Study Programme (First Degree)
b) Distance Learning Programme (First Degree)
c) Graduate Study Programme (Post Graduate Degree)

Graduates who successfully complete their first degree academic programmes at USM are awarded a Bachelors Degree; MD (Medicine/Dentistry) while those who successfully complete a post-graduate academic programme are conferred a Masters degree or a Doctorate based on the level and the relevant specialization.

Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)

The International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) is a private publicly-funded university in Malaysia. The main IIUM campus is located in Gombak, Selangor. IIUM is sponsored by eight different governments from the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Although the university was founded on Islamic principles, it admits non-Muslim students as well.

IIUM was first conceived in 1982 by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad during a special meeting between OIC leaders to establish an international institution for tertiary education based on Islamic principles (the Islamization of Knowledge). It was officially opened on 10 May 1983 at Petaling Jaya, with the Allahyarham Tun Hussein Onn elected as the first president.

IIUM is a private university and operates under the direction of a Board of Governors with representatives of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) as well as eight sponsoring governments. Nevertheless, the Constitutional Head, President and Rector of this international university are all Malaysians. The current Constitutional Head is the Sultan of Pahang, Sultan Hj Ahmad Shah al-Musta’in Billah. (The central mosque is named in his honour.)
IIUM has 13 faculties, called ‘kulliyyah’ in the University from the Arabic word meaning the same—the only institution in Malaysia to call them as such. Two faculties unique to IIUM are the Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws (AIKOL) and the Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences (KIRKHS). Other courses offered include various disciplines of Engineering, Dentistry, Nursing, Allied Health Sciences, Architecture, Information Technology, Biomedical Science, Biotechnology ,Economics and Management Sciences.

General Admissions Requirement

The general academic requirements for admission into undergraduate degree programmes of IIUM are as follows:

A pass in the IIUM Matriculation Centre’s final examination with a CGPA of not less than 2.0 and fulfillment of all other requirements for promotion to the first year of the undergraduate degree programme,
OR
Three principal passes of ‘C’ grades in the STPM (Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia) examination,
OR
Three principal passes in the GCE ‘A’ level examination, OR * Any other certificate that is recognised by the Senate as equivalent to one of the above

Language Requirements

Depending on the programme of study, instruction at IIUM is carried in English or / and Arabic. Applicants wishing to pursue studies in programmes taught in English must obtain a score of 550 in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or 6.0 points in the administrated by the International English Language Testing Service (IELTS). If they do not have either of these qualifications, they may sit for IIUM - administered English Placement Test (EPT), in which they must obtain at least 6.0 points to fulfill the English language requirement.

Applicants interested in programmes taught in Arabic must obtain an exemption after sitting for the IIUM - administered Arabic Placement Test (APT). Applicants who are unable to submit satisfactory results in any of the above tests may take up language proficiency courses at the university to fulfill the admission requirements.

Other Requirements

If deemed necessary, applicants may also be required to attend an interview and/or take an entrance test conducted by the Board of Admissions.

Official International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) website

Architects must fully understand traditional and new methods of construction and materials and appreciate their potentialities and limitations. But above all, they need to understand and be interested in contemporary society and changing lifestyles. They must also understand the community’s expectations and needs, as well as social problems which may lead to loneliness, mugging and vandalism.

The sociological aspect of architecture is much more important now than it was a decade ago. High rise flats which were once hailed as architectural successes when they were first built have turned out to be disasters in social terms. Architecture today requires a combination of artistic, technological and sociological expertise.

NATURE OF JOB
An architect’s work can be broadly categorised into:
(a)    Design work
(b)    Project management.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

Drawing and design ability is essential; an artistic flair is an advantage. An ability to interpret the forms and functions of a design is a vital skill required. Architects must be practically minded. creative, and interested in and be able to appreciate the social and environmental factors that will affect the use of the buildings they design.

Self-discipline and authority are necessary in order to put over and uphold ideas and decisions, and to deal with people from a variety of backgrounds. Mathematical ability is required for working out design problems and building economics. An aptitude for giving clear instruction and good eyesight is also helpful.

A case in point is medicine. Some students chose medicine because it has very high entry requirements, but dropped out mid¬way through the course because it failed to fulfill their expectations.

Money is Everything
Some students look out for top careers that are lucrative and then apply for the related courses. They are not aware of the hidden factor. Careers boom and bust in any economy. What is currently the most lucra¬tive career may turn out to be the worst in the future.
Prior to the Internet bubble and the IT down¬turn a few years ago, the buzzword was information technology courses among local students. Practically, every student was con¬sidering a course and career in IT. Many did so, but after they graduated, they became unemployed. Until today, most of them are unable to find jobs that commensurate with the level of their education and skills.

Going After Prestige
Some students try to get into a prestigious university or a course at all costs. even if it is not in their own interest to do so. A student entered Oxford University for medicine for the sake of prestige, eventhough the parents could not afford the high tuition fees and living costs there. After one year, he left Oxford. disappointed and de¬jected because it was beyond him financially to continue studying there.

Sticking Together
Some students like to go where their friends go or choose a course under peer pressure even to their own disadvantage. I knew a student, whose parents could afford higher tuition fees for him to study accounting at a reputable accounting school. but he refused to do so. He preferred to join his friends at an accounting school of a lower standard, the fees of which his friends could afford. Due to the low quality of this school’s teaching staff and facilities, he failed after the first year. After much persuasion and pressure from his parents, he realised his mistake and later transferred to a better school.

Copycat
Very often. some students just choose to follow in the footsteps of their relatives or friends. This commonly occurs within fami¬lies with a strong professional background, where dad, mum or Uncle Johnny are medi¬cal/ engineering/law professionals. So, it seemed natural for Ben to follow suit but to realise later on that was not something he liked to study at all.

Let Others Choose
This is quite common among local students. They choose to be ignorant of what is on offer at educational institutions and just settle for what their parents or friends have chosen for them. Ignorance may seem to be bliss initially, but will have dire conse¬quences later on. Dad might have the unful¬filled desire of becoming a doctor/lawyer/ engineer early in life. What he could not achieve, he now transfers to his son.

Judge the Book by the Cover
Some students may pay more attention to the impressive front office, colourful bro¬chures and huge advertisements of col¬leges. They tend to make their decision on the choice of the course/institution based on the impressive facade rather than the aca¬demic credentials of the lecturers, contents of the library. quality of the course/ programme, the kind of people behind the set-up which eventually determine the qual¬ity of education.
One private college operator that I know told me he had no choice but to give his front office a facelift because that was what im¬pressed the students! In a private education institution, all these costs will be borne by students. It means students are paying more for items which do not contribute to the quality of their education, but may in fact deprive them of quality education because the college may now have very little money left to “educate” the students

Paper Chase and Fast-Food Mentality
In an era of fast-food, supersonic plane and fast-paced society. for some. the best edu¬cation programme can be one which can be completed within the shortest time at the lowest cost possible-, after all, what is needed is just a paper qualification.
Just think, we spend 12 to 13 years in primary and secondary schools just to ac¬quire basic education, and then we want to become a professionaliexpert in a certain field within two to three years, if that is possible. That seems fine initially but at the interview when the employer finds out that your knowledge in your field of study is very shallow or even when you are employed. you are not able to perform to the satisfac¬tion of your boss. your career will be ham¬pered.
Once on a job, one’s paper qualification is irrelevant. It is the knowledge and skills that one have acquired that will enable you to perform and carry you through your career.

In order to avoid the above pitfalls. and get the right course and institution you really want, ask yourself what you really want to study and plan and prepare yourself for it. If you really want it hard enough. you will get it. With this in mind. take the initiative to speak to as many experts or knowledgeable people as possible- students and graduates of the institution, employers, counsellors, academics and admission officers. The main thing is knowing what you really want.
Written by:

Mr Damian Loke
General Manager
NATIONWIDE PROFESSIONAL SDN BHD Tel: (03) 2166 7013
Fax: (03) 2166 7023
Email: loke@eduasia.net
Web: www.eduasia.net
In collaboration with:
Ms Wee Hui Bieh
Managing Director
WENCOM CAREER CONSULTANCY

Located in Kajang about 22km from Kuala Lumpur, KLIUC is strategically sited in the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) that is universally recognized as Malaysia’s Silicon Valley and is within 15-minute drive away from Putrajaya and Cyberjaya.

Kuala Lumpur Infrastructure University College (KLIUC)