I recently had the privilege of a fireside chat with the Mediacorp BERITA team, invited by Sujadi Siswo, Chief Editor of BERITA Mediacorp and Head of Malay Community Engagement. The session brought together TV and radio news producers and journalists, and I found myself genuinely energised by the exchange.

Fireside Chat with Berita MediaCorp. Photo Credit: Daud Yusof

What made the conversation special was not just the sharing, but the depth of questions that came from people who truly understand news, storytelling, and responsibility.

A journey that began in 1985

My broadcast journey started in 1985, when I was 16 years old. Many people know me from my years fronting radio and TV news and information programmes such as Selamat Pagi Singapura. But fewer people know that when I formally joined Singapore Broadcasting Corporation, and later Singapore TV12, I spent a significant part of my career behind the scenes.

I produced current affairs programmes like Tinjauan, before moving into roles that gave me a full-spectrum view of the broadcast ecosystem - TV Programming Executive, Commissioning Editor working with local production houses, TV buyer acquiring programmes from abroad, and eventually Airtime Sales Director, brokering airtime deals for the channel.

Only after experiencing the entire broadcast value chain did I leave to set up ScreenBox.

When television slowed down and social media stepped in

Like many in the industry, I experienced the shift when sponsors began pulling out from traditional TV. In many ways, social media “killed” my TV production company.

But interestingly, it also helped me get back on my feet.

As we slowly built a strong following on social media, new opportunities opened up. What changed was not my belief in storytelling, but the platform where stories lived.

Bringing journalism into the social media space

During the session, I shared how I brought my TV journalism grounding into social media, especially Facebook, by producing current affairs and informational content with integrity and care.

Stories like:

A former gangster who had turned his life around
Conversations with individuals who had repented after years of drug abuse
A taxi driver in Kuala Lumpur who raised six sons, all of whom went on to university
Human-interest stories while travelling, such as Selma, a Bosnian lady who speaks fluent Malay

These were not viral for the sake of virality. They resonated because they were real, grounded, and human.

The questions that invigorated me

What truly invigorated me were the questions from the journalists, questions I don’t often get:

How do you sharpen your ground sensing for newsworthy stories?
What actually makes a story travel on social media?
How do you maintain integrity in a fast-moving digital space?
What’s the difference between piece-to-camera for broadcast versus social media?
Where do ethics sit when algorithms reward speed and emotion?

These are the kinds of conversations I deeply enjoy, thoughtful, honest, and rooted in practice.

Why practitioners matter in today’s communications landscape

One thing I shared with the team was this: theory is important, but practice sharpens judgment.

Today’s communications and social media teams are navigating an environment where platforms change quickly, audience trust is fragile, and content decisions carry real consequences. Hearing directly from practitioners - people who have lived through broadcast, disruption, and reinvention - adds texture that no slide deck can replicate.

Not to prescribe answers, but to share lived lessons.

A quiet invitation

I left the session feeling grateful and inspired. Conversations like these remind me why I still believe in mentoring, knowledge-sharing, and open dialogue across generations and platforms.

If organisations are looking to equip their communications or social media teams with grounded, real-world perspectives, especially at the intersection of journalism, storytelling, and digital platforms, I’m always happy to have a conversation.

After all, stories evolve. Platforms change.
But values, judgment, and responsibility remain timeless.