By Nura Valentiana Lorna And Jacintha Jolene
IT’S less than a week since the National Journalists Day (May 29), and lest the moment fades from public consciousness too soon, we present here an abridged version of an interview with veteran journalist Dr Toman Mamora who generously consented to have his brain picked for the occasion.
Toman believes that a lot can be shared between young and senior journalists in terms of skill development, information and informers networks and various opportunities in the profession.
Observed annually to mark the first edition of Utusan Melayu on May 29, 1939, the National Journalists Day is aimed at showing and recording appreciation for the contributions of journalists to the country.
The occasion is also intended to inspire journalists to play larger roles, particularly in the country’s development.
NEW SARAWAK TRIBUNE: Mind sharing a little bit about yourself?
TOMAN: I have been with the media for almost 30 years. After coming back from the United Kingdom where I did my master’s degree in Communication and Sociology at the University of Stirling, Scotland, I started as a feature writer then moved on to become a specialist writer. I also covered both news and features, especially their analytical types. Then as the years passed, I moved up to be a senior features editor and later became the assistant group editor for the former Sarawak Tribune, Utusan Sarawak and The People’s Mirror. I was the assistant group editor of the Sarawak Press. Two years after that I was pushed up further to become the group editor of the Sarawak Press group, covering both the English and Malay papers.
For five to six years I also did a visiting lectureship at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) where I helped design some journalism programmes particularly on subjects called Media and Society, The Workings of the Media and Communication Research.
Now I am engaged in a communication and research consultancy where I do some research work for government ministries. I am also involved in conducting training, specifically in integrated communication. My research and consultancy are purely in communication and training … how to improve editing and redesign the approach to news selection.
Why did you decide to pursue journalism?
When I was in Form Six, I began to think a lot about what I should do in life, on what I should pursue because the next logical thing for me was to go to university. However, I was in a dilemma as to what to pursue. It was either law or journalism, so that involved a lot of debate. Journalism was in the equation because I was into the art of writing.
I began to develop an early flair for writing when I was in Form Six in a mission school. I think three-quarters of the teachers in Form Six then were from England and they were missionary teachers. I pay tribute, especially to my principal and literature teacher, David Johnson, who was a product and graduate of the University of Cambridge. He taught us literature, focusing on poetry and novels.
All these provided me with a strong and meaningful foundation because it combined well with my interest in writing. It continued to develop to a higher level because I had good teachers. They had the flair and commitment to teach and involved us wholesomely in the learning of literature. If they had not been in my life, I would have been a lawyer. So, writing (journalism) was chosen when I was in Form Six. My parents were more in favour of law, but they both have a common love for words, and words are absolutely essential in the study of both law and journalism.
What were the greatest moments for you in journalism?
Among the most pleasing and treasured moments would be when I covered the Sabah elections in December 1995. I was in Sabah for about two weeks during which I set up a newsroom in a hotel. Some journalists, including an editor from a national newspaper, came to my room and shared my story. That was the time when politics in Sabah was in a critical stage. As I happened to know both the pro-government minister and the opposition candidate, I was caught in between. That was an interesting situation to be in.
Another memorable occasion would be when I attended the Asia Pacific Editors Conference in Sydney, Australia. I did an exclusive interview with the former Prime Minister of Australia, Paul Keating and also the former Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer.
In the late 1990s, I was attached for a month to a journalism school at the University of Wales, Cardiff. In 2002 when the football World Cup was co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, I spent some weekends in London which was abuzz and a hive of activities because the football fans lay across the city. I drank with some English men in a pub and had one of the best talks, especially about football. I joined the English football fans soon after England won and that was one of the most memorable moments, and I got to capture the emotions of the fans in the pubs
You have to be adventurous and daring enough to go beyond your comfort zone … get to know people, see their expressions and emotions. People are often willing to talk to you, but first you need to build bridges to get to them. You need to communicate well with your sources of information or news. Always be prepared so you don’t get nervous, and be well-composed when interviewing important figures.
Compare the pre-social media journalism with the one we have today. How have the differences (if any) affected journalism and journalists?
Before social media reporters filed in their stories either by using whatever equipment they had in their offices or if they were outside, they used the telephone or fax machines. In those days, stories often came quite late, and yet people were slightly laid back while waiting for them. Emailing stories started maybe in the late 1990s.
All the copies must be sent in completely edited because after that they went through the designers who made sure everything was in order. That was the standard format for how the paper progresses from raw material to its final form.
But nowadays, everything can be changed at will. For example, if a big fire broke out in Balai Ringin, an individual can sent a picture with a brief story, maybe a three or four-line story, and the person may be just a member of the public. This is what we call a citizen journalist. Such things appear almost immediately on websites and social media platforms. By contrast, a newspaper can only come out with the story next day. It is not your mistake and in fact, it’s nobody’s mistake. It is caused by the limitation of the system which must go step by step. Readers are often in a hurry, especially those in urban areas. They prefer short news with big pictorial support. They want the news now, and then they move on to another story. Your story is often ‘hijacked’ by social media which acts faster and often in real time.
Another example, you may have a good story from the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting. But in the evening, a few people have posted their versions and they would be very interactive. Straight away, you’re able to measure public interest by reading the comments. Social media has a scale of like and dislike. In other words, it is the people who edit the stories whereas newspapers have controlled editing.
What are your thoughts on NST? What suggestions would you volunteer?
I noticed that about 80 to 90 per cent of NST journalists are young. Admittedly, I’ve not gone through the paper in detail so it is not fair for me to make comments. From what I have seen so far, it is okay as the paper has adopted the size of a junior tabloid. In England, for example, the popular junior tabloid is The Sun which has lots of colour pictures and short stories. The paper competes with 100 other newspapers so it must know exactly what the readers want.
For front-page treatment, normally when it comes to key stories, you look at pages 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. These are the pages for key stories.
Football is among the key attention-grabbing stories and it is recognisable in Sarawak that there are a growing number of English football club supporters. This culture is gaining momentum, so should not be brushed aside. Young people are getting tired of politics because politicians come and go. People and readers are tired of political stories.
Do you have any advice for young journalists and those who are interested to enter the profession?
First thing first, for those who are still in school, it is best to speak to an experienced journalist about what they expect when they join journalism. Next, you can find out from them which particular school to go to and recommendations to study journalism. Journalism can be taught in universities and colleges but the best college is your newsroom. I’ve got a few lawyers, electrical engineers turned journalists. So, your background doesn’t matter but there should be an interest in journalism. Before you plunge in, take your interest on your own and try to talk to a practising, experienced journalist. Then, the next thing is to get your formal training. They (journalists) might not have the time to train, so go to a proper training institution or school, provided that you continue to show interest in writing.
